The Boy Without a Fairy
by nickdaman6
Summary: What if Navi never heard the Great Deku Tree's plea? What if Link never learned of his destiny and didn't save the Great Deku Tree? How long would it take before time reverts back to its original course? After a chance meeting with a strange, old man in Hyrule Castle's dungeons, maybe he will finally find his destiny. Or maybe things will take a completely different course.
1. Prologue

**Hey y'all!**

 **So, after watching this one video on YouTube and thinking about OoT's anniversary, I've come up with this idea for a fic. Listen, I know this conflicts with writing for my other fics, but I just feel like writing this. And when I have that passion to continue More than One Hero can Mend, I will return to it. But in the meantime, I have this to present to all of y'all! This is an AU fic (so be warned non-AU fic lovers), and my first attempt at something like this. As it said in the summary, what if Navi never actually made it to the Great Deku Tree, and Link was left in the dark all of his life about him being the Hero of Time. What would happen? Anyway, I have the first arc (five chapters) all written up, but a few of them still being edited by my beautiful beta. So, my plan right now is a week and a half release date, maybe even up to two weeks later on depending on our work schedules. This way I can produce a chapter that all of y'all will enjoy. However, the first five chapters I will try to release within a week of each other, with the next chapter being released in half a week. That should sate y'alls appetites... I hope.**

 **Also, as a side note for those of you wondering who came over from the More than One can Mend fic, I'm back in Colorado now and am doing amazing. This is kind of a personal side note, but I did have some people talk to me about this and all. Having come home has really helped with my mood and my writing, and even though the UK was amazing, I feel better than ever here! So thanks to y'all wondering about me, it means a lot. And shows how great my readers really are!**

 **Anyway, I think I've rambled on enough about all of this. But before I go, I have to give a special shoutout to DragonRing (DR), my amazing beta who has helped me adapt to the first person writing style spectacularly. So, read on my fellow LoZ fanatics! Enjoy the story, y'all!**

 **I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _I was 10 when they started coming to me._

 _Dreams of dark skies and lightning arcing across the sky while rain poured endlessly. I start this recurring nightmare looking out at a vast, empty field with nothing in it. Nothing except what's behind me._

 _The rattling of chains and metal catch my attention. I turn around to see what's happening. A massive stone wall comes into view, bigger than anything I had ever seen in the forest, even bigger than the ruins me and Saria played in at the Sacred Grove. An eerie light flickers back and forth from two lone torches as the drawbridge finishes lowering itself, creating a bridge across the moat that separated the wall from the field._

 _Before I can even think of crossing, a horse carrying a white-haired woman and a girl that looks like my age race across the bridge. As if they were running away from something._

 _The girl locks eyes with me for just a second. But instantly, I felt a connection with her. It's like I know her from somewhere… but I have never met her before. Seeing her face every time I have these dreams is like trying to grasp for a memory that I know is there, but I just can't remember it. Then, as soon as we make eye contact, she breaks it and throws something into the moat before she disappears from view._

 _Something tells me I need to go get it. Something tells me that whatever she threw into the water was meant for me._

 _But before I can even move,_ he _shows up._

 _I feel a shot of hot air against my neck and turn around to see a tall black horse looming over me, its nostrils flaring angrily. The man riding it looks like a giant and has some sort of skull mask covering the upper part of his face. All I can see of him is the smirk he gives me and all I can hear is the evil, echoing laughter. I'm paralyzed with fear and even though I tell my body to move, it won't listen._

 _I'm stuck, and he just keeps laughing that horrible laugh._

 _Then, a ball of light forms in the palm of his hand, aimed right at me._

 _Fear. That's all I can feel as I hear that mocking, evil laughter again before he says, "You fool, do you think that not telling me where she is will protect her?"_

 _Then he launches the ball of light at me, just as I finally regain control of my body. But before it hits me, I wake up in my bed in a cold sweat and convince myself it's just a dream. Then, reluctantly, I go back to sleep._

 _And I remember that day when I began having this recurring nightmare because it was the same day the Great Deku Tree died. No one knew how or why it happened._

 _I was 13 when I left Kokiri Forest._

 _Everyone could see it, even me. My body was changing, growing. My voice had become deeper and I knew I didn't look any bit the same as the rest of the Kokiri children._

 _Most of them stayed away from me, thinking I was cursed. Mido even started the rumor that it was my fault that the Great Deku Tree died all those years ago. "The forest doesn't like you stupid Hylians! That's why it killed off the Great Deku Tree, for housing someone who's not Kokiri!" or something like that._

 _This made it even worse. Now the rest of the village didn't just treat me as different for never having a fairy, but for not being a Kokiri. They didn't just stop talking to me or playing with me. No, they went at lengths to avoid me whenever possible, or even worse, Mido would take some of them and gang up on me. I could have easily handled Mido, but I couldn't bring myself to fight the others who_ had _been my friends. Once…_

 _So,_ I _started avoiding everyone else as often as possible and just played on my own in the Lost Woods or stayed in my house. Well, everyone except for Saria._

 _Her and her fairy, Siri, were never like the others. They didn't judge me for what I was becoming and, no matter how much the other kids hated me, she never left my side._

 _When they attacked me, she would be there to stop them._

 _When they mocked me, she would scowl at them and tell me to ignore them._

 _When they judged me, she would accept me with open arms and we would go play in our special place, the Sacred Grove._

 _And when I left, she was the only one to say goodbye._

 _I knew I didn't belong in the Kokiri Forest any longer. Knowing it was my time to leave, I crossed the bridge separating the only home I had ever known from the rest of the world. And Saria was right there waiting for me._

 _She opened her mouth, seeming like she needed to say something, but nothing came out. Instead she just hugged me. Stunned for only a moment, I hugged her back, sad that I was leaving my only friend behind. But I needed to leave. I didn't belong here anymore._

 _We broke apart and she placed something in my hands._

 _Her ocarina._

 _Ever since I had known Saria, she had never been without it. Whether she was playing a sad song for passing animals, or a rousing jig for some festival, Saria had always managed to bring so much life into the world with her ocarina when no one else could. How could I possibly take that away from her?_

 _I protested against taking it, but she said it was a reminder of Kokiri Forest and her. She closed my fingers around the object and then looked me in the eyes. It was then I noticed how they shimmered more than usual. Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears, but she held them back as best as she could._

 _I couldn't handle it any longer and before I let myself break down in front of her, I hefted up my knapsack and left without another word. As I did, I could hear the faintest of sobs._

 _What I didn't know was whether they were coming from Saria, or from me._

 _I was 17 when they found me._

 _After four years of non-stop traveling throughout the vast world of Hyrule, I learned a few things:_

 _One, never travel without company, even if that company just happens to be a flimsy bow and a dull sword. Of course, they weren't the best equipment, but they protected me from the numerous monsters that had been appearing in Hyrule Field lately. And I have to admit, I learned how to use these weapons pretty quickly. Remembering the few sword drills and slingshot competitions I participated in back in Kokiri Forest, it wasn't that hard to put them to use with their bigger counterparts. Not to brag or anything, of course… Okay, maybe a little bragging._

 _Two, don't push yourself too hard. I'll admit, I've done this a few times, but I don't recommend anyone else ever do it. Bandits and monsters are always skulking around Hyrule Field, especially at night. If you don't rest every now and then, they will make an easy target out of you. I've had too many close calls to count over the years – and due to my stubbornness there will probably be a lot more – but always try to take care of yourself and eat, drink, and sleep whenever you need to._

 _Which brings me to the third thing I've learned: never sleep in Hyrule Field._

 _There are plenty of villages around Hyrule that will take in a traveler for work or rupees. It's worth the whole 'security in numbers' thing, since a village isn't usually attacked, except for the occasional bandit raid or even rarer, a group of stalchildren. But again, neither happen that often. If someone is sleeping under a tree in the middle of Hyrule Field by themselves, however, then they're just asking to be attacked. Which is what happened to me…_

 _It had been a long day after having traveled to Kakariko Village to help out Dampé at the graveyard. He may be old, but he's one of my few friends and he pays me for helping around the graveyard from time to time, and I definitely needed the money. So, after helping him out and instead of staying in Kakariko Village, I wanted to make my way to Castle Town to buy a few things at the Bazaar. Along the way, I started to get tired and saw a tree that looked like a good napping spot._

 _Thanks to my lazy attitude and love of sleeping, I decided to take a quick hour's nap. Instantly, I fell asleep like a hibernating bear. And woke up to a trio of Moblins wearing odd masks standing over me. Marauders, monsters who murdered and stole from anyone unlucky enough to be their victims. Great._

 _Skipping over the details, I fought and defeated them, risking my life too many times for it to be healthy. Unfortunately for me, they nicked me several times all across my body and cut me deep along my ribs. This left me a target for anyone or anything else looking for an easy meal ticket. And the worst part? I already felt myself losing balance and the entire field was spinning. No doubt it was due to the amount of blood I was rapidly losing._

 _I had very little time and nothing to patch me up. The only way I could survive was if I managed to make it to Castle Town or some other village soon. But after taking just one step, I immediately collapsed onto the ground._

 _As I closed my eyes for what I thought was the last time, I heard panicked voices approaching along with hurried steps on grass. Before I could even see who it was, the blackness around my vision finally took over as I passed out from my wounds._

 _Next thing I remember was the feeling of warmth and being wrapped up in something soft and comfortable. I could hear people mumbling softly from across the room and the crackling of a fire. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see where I was, what had happened to me. The first thing I saw was this red-headed girl looking at me with curious blue eyes and a kind smile._

 _My first instinct was to run, as it had always been. So I tried to get up quickly and escape, but a strong stinging sensation in my side forced me to rethink that. The men across the room had taken notice of me, looking ready to jump in if the situation got any more aggressive._

 _Before everything got out of hand, the red head girl put a comforting hand on my chest and gently pushed me back down to lie on the bed they had put me in. One thing I noticed, as I looked back up to her, wanting to ask what had happened, was that her smile never left her face._

 _That's how I met Malon and found a new home after all those years of wandering by myself. After I recovered from my injuries, her and her father, Talon, convinced me to stay at their ranch as a ranch hand. I couldn't deny that having a job, food, as well as place to sleep didn't sound like a bad idea._

 _So, I stayed._

 _I was 20 when I started…_

 _…drowning._

 _Drowning?_

 _Drowning?! I've never drowned before in my life! Let alone swim! So what the hell… is… happening?!_

* * *

"AGHHH! Wha- who, huh?!"

In a panic from my dream of drowning, I abruptly woke up from the pile of hay I had fallen asleep on in the stables. The shock quickly wore off as I became more awake... realizing that I was soaking wet, just like the pile of hay that I now sat on.

Immediately, a red, wooden ceiling came into my view, breaking me completely from my dreams. The familiar smell of hay and animal dung also flew into my nose, somehow managing to help wake me up. I could hear the familiar noises the various animals were making in their stables, as well as a small giggle coming from the side. Looking over, I saw a familiar red-headed girl with a mischievous smirk on her face and an empty bucket in her hands. All the pieces of the puzzle were coming together now. Of course it would be her…

"Mornin', sleepy head," Malon said in her slight twangy accent that she had picked up from her father. "Thought you'd need a little bit of a wake-up call. After all, we still have some work to do before the day's done." She giggled again as she sat the bucket down next to my pile of hay.

"Yeah, well, couldn't you have just nudged me awake, or something?" I replied, rising from my makeshift bed completely wet. You could say I was more than a little irritated by the rude awakening.

"Don't you think I tried that? After all, I knew it would take more than just a friendly nudge to wake ya from one of your legendary naps, Link." She giggled again as I continued to glare at her and try not to smirk myself. Failing miserably. "See? Even you think it's funny. So I win, ya can't be mad at me."

"Yeah, you're right," I shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, you know how good I am when it comes to payback." Malon shrugged off the comment herself, knowing exactly what my tricks were after the three years I'd been working on Lon Lon Ranch with her.

"We'll see 'bout that, but good luck, I know what to look for." She gave a victorious grin and put her hands on her hips in triumph. "Now hurry up and get back to work before my dad catches you slackin', or worse, Ingo."

Ignoring the last part of that 'threat', I stretched one last time and brushed off some of the hay that clung to my sleeveless crème colored shirt and green pants, finishing it off by removing my green cap and running my hands vigorously through my dark blond hair, ridding it off any stray hay. This, coupled with my drowsy eyes, no doubt painted me as the picture of a very lazy ranch hand. Or at least from Malon's soft laughs, I assumed so.

"Come on, let's get back to it and the faster ya finish, the faster we get to celebrate today." Walking towards the door, she flashed me a smile as I followed, perplexed by what she had just said.

"Today? What's so special about today?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to me with a look of disbelief on her face. "You really don't remember?"

I shook my head. "Oh come on, Fairy Boy," a smile back on her face, "it's the anniversary of the day ya first came to Lon Lon!"


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey y'all!**

 **Here's the first chapter, as promised! I'll have chapter 2 up next week and get started on writing up ideas and chapters for part 2 of this fic. Hm... nothing much else to say for once. Oh well, enjoy the story, folks!**

 **Shout out to my beta DragonRing for, again, helping me out with this chapter!**

 **I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: What's that About a Celebration?**

No doubt that put a little bit of a hop in my step. After all, Malon and her father always threw a pretty good celebration for me every year, so why wouldn't that make me happier? Plus, the amount of food that would be served made me drool instantly. Ordon pumpkin pie, Kakariko ale, and, best of all, fried cucco. Little bastards… served them right after all the grief they gave me over the years. I messed with them one time and they still haven't forgotten it.

The sound of Malon giggling dragged me away from my internal pouting. From how I had my arms crossed, the irritated look I had on my face, and the bit of drool that hung from the corner of my mouth, she knew what I was thinking.

She always had that gift, being able to read me. More like a curse with how she used it to her advantage whenever she could, though.

"Thinking about the fried cucco, Fairy Boy?" she taunted as we walked side by side out of the barn. We began making our way towards the corral where most of the horses were grazing about for the afternoon. "The amount of satisfaction you get from eatin' them is definitely not normal. You can be odder than a rainy summer day sometimes, ya know that?"

Stretching my arms behind my head, I replied, "There's nothing that odd about it, they taste really good. Isn't that what people are supposed to feel when they eat something good? Besides, those stupid, white, flightless evil masterminds deserve it."

At that moment, we passed the small part of the land where most of the cuccos gathered during the day. I stared at them, watching to make sure they didn't chase after me for the one-hundred and sixty seventh time, but who's counting. I swore one of them stared back at me and looked like it was about to charge. But it lost interest and, once I was sure the cucco and its buddies wouldn't do anything, so did I.

Malon put her hand to her mouth, trying no doubt to stop herself from laughing. Of course, she failed.

"See? That can't be healthy, Link," she said in between small bouts of laughter, trying to calm herself down.

"Well they have it out for me, so I have to keep an eye on them. Trust me, if you were in my boots, you'd do the same." Then I mumbled to myself, "One time… I accidently step on one of them one time and I'm suddenly their mortal enemy." This didn't help end Malon's soft laughter.

I took up a very knightly and polite demeanor, knowing exactly what would get her to stop her giggling. "I dare say, Miss Malon, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're actions are very unladylike. My, what would your…" I paused for emphasis and to get her attention. By how she suddenly stopped laughing, Malon knew what was coming. "…knight in shining armor say?"

Immediately her face went beet red. Now, it was my turn to laugh.

"H-hey! That's n-not funny…!" she stuttered in reply, folding her arms across her chest and trying to hide her embarrassed face. "And stay out of my diary! How do you keep getting into it?"

"Because I know all of the ways to tease you, just like you do with me," I said tauntingly as I relaxed. "Besides, this makes us both weirdos in our own ways."

Halting outside of the corral, Malon calmed down and let a sheepish grin form on her face. "I guess so. And I have to admit, Fairy Boy…" She got very close to me very quickly at that point, causing me to take a step back and look down at her as she looked up at me. "If I'm gonna be stuck with a fellow weirdo…" she inched her face closer to mine.

At this point, my heart was beating rapidly.

 _What the hell is she doing? She's never done this before! Is she trying to…? Um… what do I do, what do I do, whatdoIdo, WHATDOIDO?!_ I screamed internally.

Before I could even act on my thoughts, she pulled my green cap over my head, rendering me blind. Again, she giggled. I lifted my cap up to see her at a more comfortable distance now. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was definitely not ready for that, and Malon knew it.

"… then I'm glad it's you," she finished her previous sentence and giggled. She held her hands behind her back and began walking to the ranch house. As she did she turned around and waved at me, saying, "Now finish your chores and there'll be some pippin' hot fried cucco waitin' for you, ya hear? See ya later!"

With that she turned back around and disappeared beyond the wooden gate separating the main grounds of the ranch from the barn and house. All I could do was stare at her as she walked away.

 _Was she…? No, she couldn't be, could she? She's never shown any interest like that before… Man, girls are weird._

I shook my head, regaining my senses and chuckling to myself. Heh, no, she was still waiting for her knight in shining armor, whoever that might be. Besides, she always did like teasing me a bit too far. Same old Malon.

Shaking my head again, I let what had happened pass. That is, until someone rushed up behind me and put me in a headlock.

I began squirming inside the arm, trying to squeeze out of it. From the laughter, I could tell who it was immediately and that he didn't mean to cause me any harm. Even if my face was slowly beginning to turn blue from lack of air.

But that didn't matter to Jo, all he kept doing was laughing and said, "That a boy, Link! I knew from the very beginning you and Malon had something special. You two seem a little too young to be in love, but who am I to judge? After all, my wife and I met at your age too!"

Gasping for air, I finally made it out of Jo's grasp by pushing against his body, throwing me flat on my back.

"Heh, sorry about that Link, sometimes I forget about my own strength," Jo said apologetically and rubbed his head in embarrassment. "But really Link? You and Malon? You dog!"

Going straight back to it, huh? Should've known. Jo could be a bit of a block head, but under that curly brown hair of his there was still a brain. And it was really good at getting what it wants to know.

"It's not like that, Jo." Grunting as I stood up, I chuckled and tried to wave the subject off. "Me and Malon? We're just friends."

Instead of dropping the subject, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me into the corral. Some of the other ranch hands, including Ingo, were working, while several of the horses Lon Lon Ranch owned galloped and grazed around the fenced-in area. For a brief second, I watched them just run around freely with each other. But only for a second.

"Don't be so bashful, Link! You and Malon make a great couple."

And then he me pulled back into the conversation.

"Thanks, but really, we're just friends. I promise, but…" I thought back to what happened just a moment ago as I felt a small blush forming on my face. No, no. That was just Malon playing with you, teasing you. Remember? But what if…? "No. No, just friends. Yup."

Jo gave me a playful smirk and looked around the corral, eyeing all the ranch hands who were now watching us. His smirk disappeared as he turned back to me. He spoke again, this time in a hushed tone.

"Listen, Link, if you're afraid to be more than friends with Malon because of the others, don't worry about it. I'll keep them straight." He gave me a thumbs up, causing me to smile in the process.

I shrugged off his hand.

"Thanks for the reminder about _them_ , Jo" I pointed at Ingo behind me – knowing he was as interested in the conversation as the others – and hoped to earn some sort of reaction from him. From the commotion going on behind me and his yelling at the other ranch hands, it seemed to have worked.

It was true, most of the ranch hands saw me as an outsider or someone who just wanted to weasel his way into the family since most of them had been working there since they were kids. Not to mention, many of them – including Ingo – had some sort of crush on Malon. The fact that I was her best friend and lived with her family didn't sit well with most of them. Jo was one of the few who, along with Talon and Malon, always made me feel like I had a home. Like I had friends. So the behind-the-back-talking and name-calling really didn't affect me.

Besides, none of them could dish out what Mido and the rest of the Kokiri had done to me. At least they did me one favor, giving me a thick skin and all. Heh, ironic.

"And thanks for the help," I continued, after enjoying the anger attack Ingo had just had. "But I can handle myself. Trust me, these guys are nothing compared to the assholes back home. Besides, if they do try anything, they'll be out on their asses looking for a job."

"Or I'll just put them in their place," Jo finished with his arms crossed and a reassuring smile on his face. It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Fights had happened before with some of the ranch hands trying to prove they were stronger than one another. But most times Jo proved _he_ was stronger than both of them combined. It was pretty funny to watch actually.

"Oh trust me, I know." Both of us laughed at this as I began walking away from our conversation. "Anyway, I need to tend to Epona since Malon's busy with getting dinner ready for tonight. I'll see you around, Jo."

He waved back, saying, "Good luck with Malon, Link! My wife and I are rooting for you!" I rolled my eyes, but grinned at his antics as I made my way to the lone, brown horse separating herself from everyone else in the corral.

As I approached Epona, she turned her head and tensed, ready to gallop away at a moment's notice. However, when she saw it was only me, she relaxed and went back to grazing. While she continued eating, I pulled out the brush from my pouch and started grooming her.

Taking care of Epona was a calming practice that only the two people she trusted on the ranch could do: Malon, who had raised Epona from when she was just a foal and had recently lost her mother; and me, for whatever weird reason that horses decided to trust someone. Well, that and being able to play Epona's Song on my ocarina. That could have helped out a lot too.

I smirked, letting the memory of when I had learned that song take over as I continued to brush Epona.

It was actually only a week after I had arrived at Lon Lon Ranch. I was sitting on the corral's fence, watching the horses go by. My injuries were still healing, so I was taking it easy. Over the past few days I found myself watching the horses run freely around the corral most of the time. For some reason I found it… cathartic – I think that's the word? Relaxing, anyway, I was usually joined by Malon at one point or another. That was how we started becoming friends, really. Just spending the late afternoon chatting away and watching the horses.

One day, as Malon and I met up as we usually did, a brown mare trotted up to the fence, nudging her. She laughed, petting the horse gently and producing an apple to feed it. While the horse munched loudly on the snack, Malon sang a comforting song.

I was mesmerized by the wordless tune. It was simple, yet beautiful. The horse seemed to be in a trance and calmed down as well. For another moment I just watched this odd ranch girl continue her tune. Then, feeling a bit left out, I joined in.

I pulled out the ocarina that Saria had given me – letting my mind wonder what she was doing for just a second. Putting the mouthpiece of the ocarina to my lips, I listened one last time to Malon's song, making sure I had the notes down in my head. Her and her horse didn't seem to notice me. That is, until they heard the notes coming from my ocarina match her singing.

A tiny hitch could be heard between the notes of her song as she heard my ocarina blend in with her voice. No doubt she was surprised that I could pick up the song so quickly. It was quite simple, to be honest, but what can I say? I've gotten quite good at playing Saria's ocarina over the years.

I smiled at her surprised face, and she smiled at me in turn while her horse's ears twitched at the sound of my ocarina. That seemed to get its attention.

Halfway through our duet, the horse slowly walked over to me and nudged my hand, causing both Malon and I to pause. Lowering my ocarina, I raised my hand – slowly – towards the horse, letting it smell me before I petted it. It seemed like a timid creature, so I proceeded carefully.

My hand was so close to petting the horse. Just a little more and I-

The horse snorted and stepped back. It neighed loudly, then sprinted away from the fence, leaving me with a blank look on my face and a smile on Malon's.

That was how I met Epona. Since then, I joined her and Malon at the fence daily, both of us playing Epona's Song and many other tunes that we both knew. Over time, Epona came to trust me as equally as she trusted Malon. Eventually I started riding her, once my wounds healed.

I smirked, coming back to the present as I groomed Epona. The look on Malon's face when I saddled that horse for the first time was priceless. She definitely looked amazed and even a little bit jealous. After that, it wasn't just Epona and Malon, but all three of us for the past three years. A pair of friends I hadn't had since leaving Kokiri Forest.

"Well look it here, if it isn't Link the Leech," someone snickered from behind me with a hint of, what I assumed was supposed to be, threat in it. I rolled my eyes, turning around to face Ingo and a pair of his lackeys. No doubt they wanted to have a few words with me.

Putting my brush away, I couldn't help but smile as I said, "Clever Ingo, took you all night to come up with that one?"

"Hmph, smart ass, you think you're so special don't you? We see the look you give us when you're with Malon. Don't pretend like you think she's yours!" He pointed his lanky finger at me, as if accusing me of some crime. Perfect, another rant. As I expected, he then took up his 'I'm better than you' stance.

I suppressed a laugh. This was going to be good.

"She belongs to someone on the ranch, someone who can provide for her and run the ranch better than her lazy excuse for a dad. A man from Lon Lon," the ranchers behind him cheered. "A man who could run this ranch like a proper business," again, his lackeys cheered behind him. "A man who could love her." This caused his pawns to burst into applause, each of them thinking that their boss was talking about him. Guess stupidity is contagious.

"So everything you're not, Ingo?" I chuckled as his face turned red, looking like Death Mountain ready to explode. Turning back to Epona to continue my work, I ended the conversation. "I'll just go back to work and let you think over what I said. Sound good, boss?"

Before I could even pull out my brush again, Ingo grabbed my shoulder and turned me around violently. At this point I wondered if I had finally pushed him over the edge. His bloodshot eyes and beet red face, coupled with him grinding his teeth made it seem like it. After all, if there was anything Ingo hated, it was his 'underlings' back talking to him, ignoring him, and turning their backs on him. Lucky for me, I did all three.

"Now listen here you little twerp!" He shoved his finger into my chest, once again trying to look threatening. And once again failing. "I'm in charge here! You think Talon or even Jo runs this place? No way! It's all me! So show some respect to your superior, you little, ungrateful, excuse for a-"

A loud neighing came from behind me. Everyone turned their attention to Epona, who had reared up on her hind legs. Once she returned to all fours, she charged right at Ingo and the two ranch hands behind him. Unfortunately, they all dove out of the way just in time. Damn shame.

"What the hell is with this crazed horse?!" one of the ranch hand's yelled as he stood up.

"It's playing favorites with that hick, we gotta get outta here, Ingo!" the other screamed, running away with his partner before Epona could come back.

"Hey! Get back here, you noodle spine cowards! It's just a wild horse!" Before Ingo could even chase after them, Epona came back around for another charge, her path aimed straight for the obnoxious weasel.

I don't think I've ever seen a grown man run faster than Ingo did from Epona. _I_ didn't even run away that fast from the cuccos.

"I'll remember this Link!" he yelled as he jumped over the fence of the corral, stopping Epona from chasing him any further.

Epona snorted once in Ingo's direction before trotting back over to me. She nudged me with her nose, looking for the carrot she knew I had on me.

"Alright, alright," I laughed, reaching into one of my pouches to produce a couple of carrots, giving them to her before she bit my hand off. Epona munched on the treats loudly in the way she always did as I took out my brush and continued grooming her. "There you go, you wild horse. Payment for a job well done."

It wasn't until the sun began setting that I had finally finished all of my work, ending the day by herding all of the animals back into the barn with some of the other ranch hands. After that, the ranch hands returned to their homes in Lon Lon Village, while I went to Malon and Talon's house on the ranch, having been given a room to stay in when they gave me my job.

Passing by the fireplace as I entered the house, I could smell some of Malon's cooking. Suffice to say, if I wasn't hungry before, I was practically starving now.

I looked around the room. The coast was clear.

Noticing that no one was around, I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a leg of the cucco roasting on the spit of the fire place. With my prize in hand, I bolted up the stairs of the house into my room at the end of the second story hallway.

"And the hero successfully rescues the cucco from the fire. Such a helpful person I am." Victoriously, I took a bite out of the cucco I had saved, relishing in its taste.

For a few moments I laid out on my bed, munching on my cucco for a few moments. Once there was no meat left on the bone, I sighed disappointedly and threw the bone out the window before going over to my sink across the room.

I looked in the mirror and saw a thin layer of dirt covering my face. Using the water in the sink, I quickly washed it off and tried to make myself look somewhat nice.

 _Just fix my hair a little bit. Make sure I don't look too tired or anything. Wash off the leftover cucco around the corners of my mouth… Agh, forget it, I'm just going to go in my work clothes. After all, this party was being thrown in my honor._

So, that was what I decided, waltzing out of my room and putting my cap on top of my head.

I walked down the stairs, thinking about the rest of the food Malon cooked. What else could she have to eat? Well, guess I'll have to find-

"Surprise!"

I yelped and nearly slipped down the rest of the stairs, grabbing on to the railing at the last second. After gracefully saving myself, I looked to see what had caught me off guard. Standing before me was Malon, Talon and Ingo, all with a smile on their face – save Ingo, who wore a bigger scowl than usual. He was definitely still pissed at me for earlier.

Talon and Malon laughed as they came up to me.

"Happy three years, my boy!" Talon smacked me on the back with one of his burly hands. Caught off-guard, I jolted forward a bit, catching myself before I could fall to the ground again. Not seeming to notice me nearly falling, Talon continued. "Can't believe it's been that long since we found ya passed out in Hyrule Field. Feels like it was only yesterday, don't ya reckon?"

"More like a century," I heard Ingo mumble.

Malon came up and hugged me before I could say anything back to the oily, ratty man. Lucky for him; could have made him look like a fool twice in one day.

"Happy three years, Fairy Boy!" she said into my ears.

"Happy three years, crazy… horse girl?" I tried to come up with something clever like she had for me for years. This was my latest attempt and damn, it was probably one of the worst.

"Three years and you still can't come up with something for me?" Malon broke our hug and rolled her eyes, swatting me on the chest at the same time. "Keep trying, maybe you'll have something one day."

Rubbing the back of my head, I said, "At least I'm getting more creative. It's better than grasshopper."

"True, I still don't know why you called me that."

We walked over to the table as I began to list off my reasoning. "You're energetic, musical and can be annoying at times."

"Ha ha ha, very funny," Malon gave me a fake pouty face, causing Talon to laugh loudly as we sat down.

"That's enough, ya love birds. Save the bickerin' for when y'all are married." Talon wore a big grin on his face, not seeming to notice how his daughter blushed up a storm. Yeah, Talon was a big hearted, kind man, but I would be lying if I said he wasn't oblivious most of the time.

"D-dad!" Malon was no doubt embarrassed by this, even after she and I had heard the same thing at least a hundred times before. But for some reason – and I would later kick myself in the ass for not realizing why sooner – Malon always seemed to immediately become defensive whenever Talon brought up the subject.

"I'm just teasin' Malon. No need to get your neckerchief in a bunch, darlin'." And like so many times before, Talon realized he had crossed some sort of line with Malon. All I could do was sit back and try not to laugh, finding the situation funnier than I should. While simultaneously ignoring the voice in my head asking why Malon became so defensive on the subject and a lot of other questions revolving around that train of thought.

 _No, Link, no, snap out of it._

Luckily, I didn't need to stop myself much longer as the fourth guest at the table finally decided to speak up again.

"Can we eat now?! I'm starving over here, you damn cowboy." Ingo sounded as irritable as ever as he reached for the food on the table, taking generous helpings for himself and scarfing down his food without even waiting for us.

Talon rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "Oh, right. Of course, Ingo. Well, everyone, dig in!"

I didn't need any more coaxing and immediately began devouring what I still think was the best meal I have ever had.

* * *

"Oh, I'm so damn full. I don't think I can… take another… step…" I collapsed face first onto the ground and relished in the comfortable grass of the ranch's corral. "Ah, now this is living. Just kill me now, I don't think life will ever get better than this."

From above I could hear Malon giggling, causing me to turn around onto my back and flash her a small smile. "Want me to go get Ingo? I'm sure he would be happy to oblige," she threatened as she sat down next to me.

Again, I don't know why she thought that threat worked on me. It never has.

"Nah, then who would be around to keep him on his toes?" Placing my arms behind my head, I looked up at the stars and started to gaze at them. That is, until Malon's face came into view and blocked them with her red hair. Her beautiful, flowing… No, Link. Stop that.

"Well, I'm sure I would make a good replacement," she said with a laugh.

I shook my head and sat up. "Maybe. It's a full time job. It's not for the faint of heart. You might even make it – goddesses forbid – onto Ingo's list." My hand covered my mouth in mock surprise and horror. "Could you imagine the daughter of Lon Lon Ranch on Ingo's list? What a scandal that would be!"

Malon couldn't help but laugh, and neither could I. For a few minutes, that was all we did; laughing at dumb jokes, making stupid comments at Ingo's expense and just acting like two idiot teenagers.

Then, we fell into a comfortable silence as we stared at the stars. Sometimes we pointed out a constellation to the other, listening to the story that accompanied those imaginary connect-the-dot pictures in the sky. And I had to say it, this was definitely a good way to start my fourth year.

After that, everything went completely silent. No stories, no laughter, just Malon and I enjoying the moment. That is, until Malon broke the silence.

"Um… Fairy Boy?" It sounded like she had a bit of hesitance in her voice.

"Yeah?"

I turned to face Malon to see she had pulled her knees up to her chest, hiding the bottom part of her face.

"Ever since my mom died so many years ago," she began, now sounding a little choked up "it's been rough on the ranch. I mean, I always felt like I belonged here, but… No one ever treated me like me. All the workers on this ranch always try to woo me, and my dad just treats me as his daughter. I was lonely. It was only me and Epona. That is, until we found ya." She lifted her head up and let her chin rest on her knees. For a few seconds we sat in silence again, allowing me to truly understand what Malon was saying.

"I'm glad we took ya in those three years ago," she finally said. "After we found ya out in that field and you decided to stay at the ranch, I finally felt like I had a friend. And I mean a real friend, not an animal friend like Epona or family like dad. Ever since you played Epona's Song for the first time, I knew I found someone I could trust, someone I could always lean on. A true friend. What I'm trying to say is… um… thank you, Link. For stayin' here and befriendin' this odd, head in the clouds, rancher's daughter."

All I could do was stare at Malon in awe. No words came to mind that I could say in response to that. Nothing, not a single word. Why couldn't I say anything?

It seemed that Malon had noticed that too, as she started physically withdrawing herself little by little. Afraid she said something wrong. Here she was, spilling her heart out to me on how much I meant to her and I was making her feel bad for saying it.

But that's when I realized it. That me and her were the same, trying to find someone who could accept us for just being us. Someone who wanted at least one person to make them feel like it was okay to be themselves.

Before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug. I don't know why I did it, but I just let instinct take over and that was what happened. Guess it was supposed to happen then.

But I still couldn't say anything.

It didn't seem to matter though, because I could feel Malon relax. The smile I saw on her face out of the corner of my eye also hinted that I needn't say a word.

"Thank you, Link," she said one more time.

We sat there for what felt like hours that night, only a small fraction of it letting us show what our friendship meant to each other. It wasn't long before we broke away from our awkward hug and made our way back to the ranch house. After all, we had an early day tomorrow. Plus, Malon chiding me for making sure I got enough sleep forced me to get up from my spot in the corral. Guess she would never change.

Later on, I would look back and realize that this was the beginning of the changing point in our friendship. Testing it, no doubt, and seeing what would come out of it in the end. Because today would be, for a long time, my last day of freedom; tomorrow, destiny would take back the life it left behind ten years ago with a little boy who still dreamed of one day becoming a true Kokiri.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all!**

 **Sorry, a day late on putting out chapter 2, my bad! Knew there was something I forgot to do yesterday, but I was emotionally traumatized. Just finished Morning Star, the finale to the Red Rising triology... It got me good :'( Anyway, this chapter starts to the move the plot along, so things can get a lot more interesting! Review, follow, favorite, and all the schebang if you so please! :D Enjoy the story, folks!**

 **I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Just an Everyday Delivery Run**

I violently woke up from my short lived sleep. My sheets felt soaked, no doubt from the thin layer of sweat that covered my body.

For a few moments, I stared into the fading darkness of my room, repeating in my head over and over again that it was all just a dream. That it wasn't real. But it sure as hell felt like it. The dream about a younger me, a girl on a horse, and… that man.

I hadn't dreamt about him in years, ever since I settled in at Lon Lon Ranch. After all of that time, I thought that dream had finally left me. But it was back now, and it had felt more real, more violent than ever.

Minutes later, my rapid breathing calmed down. I wiped away the sweat from my forehead and slid my feet out from under my covers to the cool, wooden floor.

"It was just a dream, Link. A realistic, fear-inducing dream. It means nothing." Of course it meant nothing, but I guess saying it out loud made me feel like it was true. As much good as that did me.

It was then that I saw light slowly creeping through my window. Guess it was already morning, no point in going back to sleep. After all, Malon would probably be-

A loud knocking came from my door, followed by Malon saying, "Wake up sleepy head, we gotta get a move on if we're goin' to make it to Castle Town and back to Lon Lon today!"

\- waking me up soon. Should have known she would be on schedule.

"Alright, alright," I said with a yawn. Stretching to wake myself up, I stood up from my bed. "I'm coming. What's for breakfast?"

Putting on my clothes and splashing my face with water to finally, fully wake up, Malon once again spoke through the door. "Ham and bread. Now come on, if we don't hurry, you'll be fighting off some Stalfos on the way home!"

"Would be a nice change of pace," I replied while tightening my boots. Deciding to be cheeky, I added with a grin, "And guess that would make me your knight in shining armor, huh?"

As expected, Malon stuttered in reply, "J-just hurry up! I'll be downstairs."

Then I heard Malon's footsteps as she made her way to the stairs, rather hastily actually. Guess she really had to tend to breakfast.

Once I put my cap on, I was finally dressed. I grabbed my sword from under my bed and strapped it on as I made my way downstairs.

Time for another delivery to Castle Town. How exciting.

Breakfast went by quickly, with Malon pulling me away from my meal before I could even finish it. No matter how much I complained or grumbled about me starving to death, she wouldn't let me finish eating. It's a crime what she did, a travesty! But I couldn't do anything about it, when Malon wanted to get a job done on time (which was every job), she would make sure everyone was on the same schedule as her.

We loaded up the wagon that Ingo and some of the other farm hands had already hitched Epona to. Most of what we were taking to Castle Town were milk and eggs, as well as a few crates of salted meat for Castle Town's guards and elite

And even some crates marked for the king himself.

"You think we'll have any trouble this trip, Malon?" I asked her as I noticed the king's seal on one of the crates. "I mean those guards can be jerks, even worse than Ingo."

Too bad he wasn't around to hear that one.

"Well," she grunted as I handed the last crate up to her on the cart "as long as it's not Landon at the gates to the castle, we should be fine. After all they don't do much."

"Don't do much? Alright, whatever you say. If they cause us trouble, I guess I can make sure there isn't any trouble." I shrugged, seeming to not care about the situation as much as I should have. But nothing could be further from the truth.

"Fairy Boy, please don't do anything stupid just to help me," she scolded as she took her seat at the front of the cart. I joined her, putting my sword in the with crates as I did so. "We don't want ya to get in trouble, or worse, get the ranch in trouble. 'Sides, I can handle men like him. After all, I take care of my own with the rest of the workers, don't I?"

She sounded determined, I'll give her that. Stubborn as always.

"Fine, fine, I won't do anything." No promises, but I could at least give her this to ease her mind a little.

"Good, now let's go, we've wasted enough daylight as it is!"

"Malon, the sun is barely up, we haven't wasted- WHOA!"

Malon had cracked the reins of the cart, causing Epona to bolt out of Lon Lon Ranch's gate fast enough to nearly blow my hat away. That's what I get for wasting so much time talking, I guess. Crazy ranch girl.

For about a mile we continued at this speed, me trying to get Malon to calm down the whole way. After the twentieth time I called her crazy, she finally let up on the reins, finally listening to me. Well, actually, that was pretty unlikely, she most likely slowed down because we were entering Lon Lon Village.

As we slowed down and entered the outskirts of Lon Lon, I was able to enjoy the scenery of the village that shared its name with the ranch.

I could never get over how peaceful the village seemed. Even on the edges of the village, in the fields where everyone was hard at work, everyone seemed to be happy. Lon Lon Village is known for its farming and ranching, and for the hardy, friendly people that brought the food to most of Hyrule's dinner tables.

Along with Kakariko Village to the east and Windfall Village bordering Gerudo territory to the west, Lon Lon Village served as part of Hyrule's bread basket. Most everyone here worked the fields or at the ranch, living a simple, yet satisfying life.

I smiled, thinking on how such a life was nice to lead… for the time being. Sometimes I still wished to go back out to Hyrule and live my life like I used to; just adventuring around the country with nothing to worry about, except myself. Maybe one day I would go back to that life, but for now, I had a home in this quaint little village. And I would do anything to keep it that way.

"It's nice out today isn't it, Fairy Boy?" Malon turned to me with a smile. "Maybe we'll stop on the way back to eat in Hyrule Field if we're fast enough."

For a moment, I just stared at Malon, wondering how she could switch from serious to carefree so quickly. But I didn't question it much longer, instead I just counted it as another one of her quirks.

I nodded in agreement, smiling as well. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"So that means no sleeping this time, okay?" There's her serious side.

"I won't, I won't. It only happened once, won't happen again," I held my hands up in defense. Sure I loved napping, but I wouldn't nap on the job, unlike Talon.

"Good," was all I received in response before she turned her eyes back to the dirt road ahead of us. Even though she was smiling, it looked like her mind was elsewhere, concentrating on something she was thinking about. But I wasn't sure. After all, I was terrible when it came to social cues.

At this point, we entered the village proper. Lon Lon was relatively small compared to both Castle Town and Kakariko Village. Many of the buildings were only small, one story houses. As well, there weren't many shops, only a blacksmith and a tavern for those passing through. Most people had market stalls instead of shops on market days. So the village was definitely smaller than most other towns, but what the village lacked in the size, the people made up for with their personalities.

As we rode through town, many people waved and greeted us with genuine smiles. Everyone in town knew Malon and her father, as well as me. Most of them I had even helped out with simple tasks when I could.

Everyone knew everyone in the village, making us almost a big family. As well, most of the villagers were trusting, helpful, hard-working, and happy people, even if they were just farmers. The life they lived may be filled with work, but it was fulfilling and satisfying. Most people shared that feeling with visitors and travelers, being accommodating and friendly to all who passed through.

It was definitely one of the better villages anyone could ask to live in; friends all around, gratifying work, and, most importantly, an abundance of food. I couldn't ask for much else.

Once we had passed through the village, we came into Hyrule Field. This was definitely the longest part of the journey. It would take a few hours before we actually reached Castle Town, so Malon and I just passed the time by talking idly about whatever came to mind.

This made time go by quicker as we traveled to Castle Town mile by endless mile. At one point I even brought out my ocarina and played around on it, receiving an applause from Malon and a happy neigh from Epona when I played her song.

Other than that, the trip was mostly uneventful. Nothing unusual. What? Sometimes a trip can be relaxing and have nothing happen. Which was just fine by me. I even managed to nap for a little bit. But that ended quickly as we finally came to the gates of Castle Town.

Malon woke me up from my sleep. Well, more likely rudely jarred my by riding over a bump on the road, which she claimed to be an accident. Doubt it.

As we came up to the long, stone wall that separated the town from Hyrule Field, I couldn't help but think of my dream. I knew by now that this was where my dream had taken place. I was sure of it; the walls, the torches, the moat, and definitely the drawbridge all matched the setting I found myself in in that dream with that man.

It was a little eerier than normal though. Déjà vu was also hitting me a lot harder as well. Shivers ran down my spine as we crossed the drawbridge into the town. For some reason, I almost felt like I was actually in the dream.

Malon looked at me curiously, seeming like she was about to ask me what was wrong. Before she could, the guard at the gate stopped us.

"Halt! What brings you to Castle Town today, miss?" The armored man asked.

"Just deliverin' milk and food to everyone, Rex," Malon spoke politely with a smile. This was one of the few guards we liked. Rex was in charge of the gate, so we knew him personally. He wasn't corrupt, and helped those who needed it whenever possible. Too bad more guards weren't like him.

"Ah, Malon. Almost couldn't recognize you with this visor in my face. Welcome, and you too, Link. Not going to cause any trouble with my men today, are you?"

Both of us laughed, while Malon just stared at me with a quizzical eyebrow raised. She was definitely hoping the answer was "yes".

Once I noticed this, I coughed into my hand and stopped laughing. "Not today, Rex. Just helping Malon with deliveries, heh…"

"Good to hear it, son. I feel like I should warn you, Landon is on guard duty at the castle gates today. Please don't do anything to instigate him, he's already a problem for you two as it is."

"Well as long as he lets us do our business at the castle, I don't think we'll have a problem," I said, resting my head against my hands and leaning back on the cart's bench.

Malon hit me in the stomach, causing me to jolt forward. That was a cheap shot.

Once she had dealt with me, she turned her attention back to Rex. "Don't worry, I'll keep him in line."

Rex chuckled at what had happened. It didn't seem funny to me.

"Ah, to be young again," he said wistfully. We both looked at him, confused, not entirely understanding what he meant by that. "I know you will, Malon. Now go on through, I'm sure I've held you up long enough."

"Thank you, Rex. And here, a few cookies I baked for ya." From one of the packs on the side of the cart, Malon pulled out a small bag, then handed it to Rex.

"Thank you, Malon, my kids and I always love your baking."

"So do I," I mumbled, disappointed that Malon hadn't shared any of the treats with me. Traitor, I thought she was my friend.

"Don't worry, Fairy Boy, I packed some for our dinner on the way back. You'll just have to wait until then."

"You're making me wait, that's even worse, Mal!"

Both of them laughed at me, no doubt finding this all amusing.

"It'll be worth it, Fairy Boy, trust me. Now we have to get to work, or else we won't be able to have dinner until we get back to the ranch. Thanks for the help, Rex! We'll see ya on the way out."

With that, she ushered Epona to move forward and carry us into town.

"Have a good day, you two!" Rex called out while waving goodbye to us.

We waved back as we continued into Castle Town, entering the first district of the lively capital.

Many of the buildings that made up Old Town, the southern entry area of Castle Town, were crumbling apartment complexes that housed a few too many people. Few market stalls lined the street selling food at extremely high prices or rotten produce, and next to none of the buildings were actual stores. Most of the people that walked around kept to themselves and looked to have seen better days as they walked around in hand-me-downs or rags.

Beggars sat outside some of the more rundown buildings, while others stumbled out of the less reputable bars in Castle Town, happy with using the money they were able to beg for to buy cheap, watered down ale. Looking down the alleys didn't make the oldest district of Castle Town look any better. Dogs looking through discarded waste alongside some children could make anyone's heart ache. Or leave a bad taste in their mouth.

My eyebrows furrowed in disgust as I thought about the reason many of these people lived in these conditions. The new king.

From what I heard, this was how everything went to hell:

Ever since the princess, Zelda, disappeared seven years ago, Hyrule had been slowly declining. There had to have been some sort of connection there, but what? It didn't matter, it had happened and she left a whole mess of trouble behind her. Maybe she had her reasons for leaving, but from where I stood, she was just like every other noble: only thinking of themselves.

Anyway, after she left, problems started popping up all over the place.

First, monsters like Stalfos and Stalchildren started becoming more common place. They still only walked around at night, but they appeared in bigger droves. A few of the smaller villages and hamlets in Hyrule Field were actually destroyed since no one was able to stand up to these creatures. So many people displaced or dead. And it was all thanks to the second problem the _princess_ left us with.

Her father, King Harkanian, fell into a depression after his daughter ran away, or was kidnapped, or whatever. More and more of the country began to fall into ruins, and he wasn't doing anything about it. He could have sent more patrols out to stop the monsters, or helped to stop the widening gap between Hyrule's wealthier nobles and poorer citizens. But no, he just sat his pathetic ass in his throne and moaned about his "darling daughter, Zelda". He wasn't fit to rule anymore, which led to the biggest problem of them all.

Ganondorf.

About three years after Zelda disappeared, Ganondorf, a Gerudo thief-king who tried to create peaceful ties with King Harkanian years ago, showed up at the castle with several Gerudo. Many of the palace guards let him past and didn't even put up a fight. Even the king voluntarily gave up, ending the Royal Family line. That's the day Ganondorf the Usurper took over Hyrule.

At first, he wasn't bad. He sent out patrols to Hyrule Field to stop the constant monster attacks, many of them succeeding. People in the countryside thought they might finally have protection from the constant threat of Stalfos and Moblins. And they did, for a short time.

Soon, Ganondorf told his soldiers to instead begin searching for something, taking them away from their guard duties for many of the villages. No one's completely sure what he's looking for.

It was at this time that most of the Hylian army started to become corrupt and demand money from hard working, poorer villagers. They didn't stop there. Many also forced themselves on young village girls, their fathers or husbands unable to do anything. Some even confiscated property from these hard-working folks. Of course, these were just rumors, since they were just small villages and never bigger towns like Lon Lon or Kakariko. But all the same, it still seemed like something a corrupt guardsman would do.

And the gap between poor and rich grew even wider. More nobles had their way, never giving the poorer people a chance. Several people became indentured servants to these lords and ladies. More like slaves, but no one would ever admit that that was what they were.

But that was how Hyrule was now; a shadow of what it once was and now a corrupt, greedy, undependable country ran by a usurper, negligent guards, and corrupt nobles.

I wish someone could change that.

"We're here!"

Malon's voice broke me from my thoughts. I noticed we had parked outside one of the inns in Castle Town's square. It looked a lot better than Old Town, I can tell you that. And most of the people in this part of town were nice, or at least decent.

"Stop daydreaming, Fairy Boy. This is only the first stop and I need you on your feet, come on!" Malon commanded as we both got off the cart and unloaded the boxes for the Castle Town Inn.

"Alright, alright. Geez, you're such a slave driver, you know that?" I retorted as I carried the crate of milk ordered by the innkeeper, who waited eagerly outside of the inn for his goods.

She giggled as I sat down the crate next to the innkeeper's tapping, impatient foot.

 _I'm here, aren't I? So stop making it seem like I've harmed you by being a few seconds slow._ I thought with annoyance.

After examining the crate to make sure everything was there, the innkeeper gave me the rupees for the milk. Took him long enough, picky bastard.

Once I had counted out the rupees, I left without saying anything and handed the money to Malon, who pocketed it in her rupee pouch.

"Alright, one down. On to the next stop, Fairy Boy. Let's go!"

Allowing myself a smile, Malon and I got back up on the cart and continued the deliveries. I hate to say it, but her enthusiasm was definitely contagious. Guess if I have to be at this all day, might as well have a better attitude about. So, leaving behind my thoughts about the depressing state Hyrule was in at the inn, we continued on our normal delivery route.

* * *

"Phew, okay Link, we just have Hyrule Castle left," Malon said as she wiped off the sweat that was supposedly forming on her forehead. I don't know how she could have been working up any sort of sweat since I was the one doing all the heavy lifting.

"Why am I the only one doing all the hard work?" I sat back in the seat of the cart, taking out my water skin and greedily drinking from it. Satisfied, I wiped away the _actual_ sweat that caused my hair to stick to my forehead.

Malon laughed softly, as she continued Epona through the more lavish area of Castle Town, the part that bordered Hyrule Castle.

"Because someone has to take care of the money and watch over Epona."

"Right, and that's so much work, obviously."

"It is, well maybe not as hard as lifting all of those crates, but still, it's work. Besides, you get to put your muscles to use and I know how much you like showing off for all of them girls in the square," she said a bit irritably, though trying to pass it off as playful. It didn't work, not on me anyway. I knew Malon too well.

"Okay, first, I don't like to show off, it just looks that way because I'm hauling around these huge crates everywhere," I responded, my voice beginning to rise in response to her accusation. I rested the back of my head against my hands, trying to relax a little bit before the last delivery. "Second, why would you care if other girls were staring at me?"

The cart swerved a little then, almost hitting a nobleman and nearly throwing me off. I turned to look at Malon, who seemed to be blushing slightly, but tried to hide her face from me. That last question caught her a little off-guard.

For a minute, she didn't say anything, except for her whispering, "Idiot…"

I was definitely confused, so I tried to get her attention and make sure I didn't say anything stupid.

"Mal?" My hand came to her shoulder.

That seemed to get her attention, and looked to calm her down a little bit. But she gently took my hand off of her shoulder before turning her attention back to the road.

"It's nothing, Fairy Boy. Just… Let's finish delivery and we'll talk at dinner, okay?"

Malon sounded different when she said that. Like she was almost pleading with me.

I wanted to ask her why, but before I could say anything else, we came up to the gate separating Hyrule Castle from Castle Town. Deciding instead to focus on that, I nodded and let the conversation drop. Whatever Malon had to say could wait. After all, we both needed to focus on dealing with our favorite guard. What a great way to end the day.

As Epona pulled the cart through the narrow pathway towards the gate, it was none other than Landon who came up to greet us. Unfortunately, we had to come to a stop in front of the stone gateway.

"Halt! State your business?" He lifted up the visor of his helmet to get a better look, letting us see his snobbish face. For a minute he continued looking at the cart, but once he recognized Malon's red hair, he changed his tune. "Well, Miss Malon. What a pleasure to see you again. Delivering some food to the castle I see?"

"Yes, Landon. Now, could you let us through? We're in a hurry here," Malon replied, trying to finish the conversation before it even started.

"Not so fast, Miss Malon," his voice as smug as it could be. What an ass. "We need to inspect the goods, make sure everything is okay for his majesty, Ganondorf."

With a snap of his fingers, two more guards came from the other side of the gate, followed by a few others who just stood back to watch. They immediately went to the crates and started looking inside of them. And I knew Malon and I heard them taking some of the meat and milk for themselves. Corrupt bastards.

"Hey, some smoked pork, my favorite. But I think it looks a little too dry for the king's liking. I think I'll just rid him of this burden," one of the guards snickered. They were obviously rubbing it in our faces, and we couldn't do anything about it.

Once they were finished, they jumped down from the back of our cart and joined the other guards who enjoyed watching us struggle to finish our business. Except for one, who just stood there, seeming to threaten us with just his presence.

"Look," I interceded, trying to stay as civil as possible "you have your little 'tax', now could you let us through. His majesty is expecting this food soon for dinner, I'm sure."

"Hmph, is the ranch boy trying to tell me what to do?" Landon stared me down. For a brief second I stared back him, almost daring him to try something. But I knew what would happen if I kept antagonizing him, so I reluctantly backed off.

"That's right, learn your place, boy! Now, Miss Malon," he turned his attention to her. With that devilish look in his eyes, I knew where this was going. "I'm afraid there's a new tax for people passing through to Hyrule Castle."

"What? Are you serious?" Malon couldn't believe it, well she could, but she didn't want to.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It's one hundred rupees to pass."

"One hundred?! But that's almost half of our money from today."

One hundred rupees? Now that was extortion, and it made me glare at Landon angrily. He was just another guard looking out for himself.

"Indeed, but if you can't pay," Landon grabbed Malon's arm roughly and brought her face to face with him. "I'm sure we could… work something out?"

"Hey! Let me go!"

Malon tried getting out of his grip, but Landon held on tightly, not wanting to let go of his "pay".

"Stop squirming, this will be easier if you just cooperate!"

I could feel my knuckles turn white as I gripped my fists furiously.

"No! Stop! Link!"

That's it. I couldn't take it anymore, it was time Landon learned his place. Jumping down from my spot on the cart, my thoughts became more filled with rage. He wouldn't lay another finger on Malon, I'd make sure of it.

 _I'm sorry, Malon, looks like dinner will have to wait._

As I walked past Epona, I felt the eyes of the other guards on me. Whether they were scared or waiting to see what would happen, I couldn't tell. But whatever was about to happen, I was sure they would be involved in a minute.

Once I stood behind Landon, I spun him around, forcing him to let go of Malon.

We came face to face, making it easier to get my message across. Locking eyes with him, I spoke, putting emphasis on every word. " _Leave her alone_."

For a second Landon just looked at me dumbfounded. Then, the laughter began. Behind me, the other guards began laughing too. What was so funny about me today?

After he calmed down, Landon said with as much snobbishness as he could muster, "And if I don't? You can't do anything about it! If you want to get past me and my guards, Miss Malon here has to pay one way or another."

That was the breaking point.

Without a second thought, I swung my fist at his face, making direct contact right under his eyelid. I swore I felt something break. He collapsed on the ground faster than a balled-up Goron falling off Death Mountain. Out cold, no doubt. My fist hurt like crazy, but I shook it off and focused on the adrenaline.

I turned to the guards, seeing them looking at me as if they were unsure about what to do. Glad they gave me the opportunity.

"Malon, are you alright?" I asked while I kept staring down the other guards.

"Y-yes. I am," she said with a slight tremor in her voice.

"Good. Listen, I want you to leave. I'll catch up with you after I deal with these guys."

"Link…?"

At this point I looked over my shoulder, trying to give her my best reassuring look. "Leave, Malon. I promise, I'll be right behind you." I gave her the best smile I could muster. "Go, it'll be okay."

For a second she still hesitated, but eventually she nodded and turned Epona around, racing the cart back towards town. At that moment, she turned back to look at me one last time, and I swore I saw tears.

Sighing, I turned back to the guards who had finally snapped out of their shock and awe. Well, I was definitely in for it now. Too bad I decided against asking for my sword.

"Come on now. Are we just going to stand around all day, or are you guys going to do something about this?" With a smirk, I kicked Landon in the gut for emphasis. That sent them over the edge.

The fattest guard came charging at me first, his spear pointed directly at me. As soon as he got near me, I sidestepped out of the way of the sloppy move, simply stretching my foot out and tripping him. He fell face first and I swore he started rolling down the hill. Chuckling, I turned back to the others.

This time two of the remaining four came at me.

They charged, but learned from their friend's mistake. Instead, they had their swords drawn and they didn't look as eager to run me over like the other guard.

The first slashed at me horizontally, but I ducked under it. From there, I sprung back up and kneed the unfortunate guard in the gut. That took care of another one. Thank god they only wore chainmail under that blue uniform of theirs, otherwise I would have shattered my knee.

Quickly following up, the other guard swung his sword diagonally. I was nearly hit, but jumped out of the way just in time. Landing hard on my ass, I regained my footing as fast as I could. The guard with the sword and I circled each other, waiting for one of us to make the first move.

When I had my back turned to the last two guards, I heard a pair of feet rushing towards me. That was when I saw the guard in front of me charge. These guys really needed to be more subtle.

I didn't move until the last possible moment. Then, I stepped out of the way, letting the two idiot guards run into each other helmet first. You could hear the hard clang and the ring that followed it. Even I cringed at that. No doubt they were completely unconscious. Poor, stupid bastards, they'd feel that tomorrow.

I turned back to the last guard, determined to end this quickly and rejoin Malon. But as I did so, my heart fell.

The last guy didn't seem like any pushover. First, he had full black plate armor on, which would make this fight a lot harder. And second, he had his shield and spear raised like he actually knew how to use them. He didn't even say anything, it just looked like he was staring at me.

We watched each other for a few moments, me trying to judge how I was gonna win this and him… doing whatever he was doing.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he charged towards me shield first. In the one second that I could see him coming towards me, time seemed to slow down. It was then I realized that I wasn't fast enough to get out of the way. He would hit me straight on, and I couldn't do anything about it. This was going to hurt. A lot.

Right as time sped back up, I felt the impact of his shield on me. The air was knocked out of my lungs and I knew for a fact I heard a rib or two break. I landed hard on my back and skidded a few feet before coming to a stop.

I could barely move and my body hurt like hell. Every time I even twitched, I felt my body protesting. Once I was able to get past some of the pain and start getting up, something hit me hard in my chest and pinned me down.

I cried out in pain and just looked at the sky for a moment before looking to see what had struck me. It was none other than the solid, black steel boot of the knight who had just manhandled me in a matter of seconds.

Then, he raised the butt of his spear right in front of my face. The last thing I felt was the end of his weapon hitting my head hard.

After that, black out.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey y'all!**

 **Man from a reading addiction back to my gaming addiction. Fire Emblem, damn you! Also rumors about the new Pokemon games, talk about Mass Effect Andromeda and AGH! My wallet and time can't take it anymore! Not to mention the Zelda games I need to catch up on... Damn... Okay, next chapter in the air. The last chapter started the main plot, this picks it up in a big way. But I'll let y'all read to figure out what I mean by that. Again, nothing much, just read, review, follow, favorite, y'all know the drill :D Enjoy the story, folks!**

 **I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Out of the Frying Pan...**

It was dark and everything was spinning.

Slowly, so I didn't make my already throbbing headache any worse, I opened my eyes. What I saw was something that I thought I would never see: the inside of a prison cell, crude iron bars and all.

Alarm bells went off in my head. How did I end up here? Did I do something or…?

Then, it all came back to me.

Leaving with Malon to take care of deliveries in Castle Town.

Talking to Rex when we came to the gates and having to deal with that annoying inn keeper. Wait, did I do something to him?

No, because after that we went to the castle and…

"Oh, shit." The realization had finally hit me like a ton of bricks.

I fought with the Hylian Guard trying to stop Landon from harassing Malon. Must have done some real damage if they decided to throw me into the dungeon for trying to keep Malon safe. I smirked a little. Guess I could find some humor in how I completely destroyed their image. Good, corrupt guards like that deserved it.

Then, I began remembering some images from right when I blacked out to when the guards threw me in this cell.

The black armored guard, whoever he was, definitely kicked my ass. Suddenly thinking of him made both my head and ribs ache. Yup, definitely broke a few ribs. Maybe it was too much to ask for them to at least patch me up a little bit?

Once my spat was over, I closed my eyes and went back to my memories. After I was knocked out, I don't remember much else. Some fancy looking decorations on cream walls. Long red rugs running down white marble floors. Even a few portraits of what I assumed was the Royal Family. Nothing too special or important.

But what really stuck out was the man the guard took me to.

I don't have an image of him, but I can remember his voice distinctly. Powerful, but oddly calm like a thunder storm in the distance. It sounded like he was pleased about something.

Then he started laughing. An oddly familiar laugh that I couldn't place at the moment – thanks to my might-be-a-concussion migraine. But this laugh sounded different from the voice. Deep, evil and cackling, like he had won a major victory.

The last thing I remember was this one sentence.

 _Throw him in the dungeon. I'll deal with him myself soon._

And that's it. Nothing else after that except waking up in this crammed little cell.

I laid my head back against the solid dungeon wall, a stupid grin still plastered on my face. I tried to bring up my hands to lay behind my head and make myself a little bit more comfortable. That's when I realized they were chained together, giving me little to no movement of my hands whatsoever.

Well, I was definitely in for a hell of a punishment then. Hopefully Malon got out okay. The thought of her caused me to frown.

"I just hope she's okay, and that she can forgive me for all of this. When I get out of here, I'll make it up to her. And I will get out of here, some way." I sighed and raised my head from the wall.

Opening my eyes, I was greeted by a strange looking figure standing right in front of me. I jolted back and yelped in surprise, causing me to hit my head against the stone wall. With what movement I had, I tried rubbing away the sudden pain with my hands. If I didn't have a concussion before, I sure as hell had one now.

After some of the pain had disappeared, I looked back at the figure, who seemed to be studying me. I couldn't really tell since a purple robe covered most of his lanky body, including his face. The only thing I could make out was his long white beard and a red eye marking on the center of his robe that looked somewhat familiar.

The figure leaned in on his walking stick so that his face was only inches from mine. Yeah, he was definitely looking me over for some strange reason.

"Look, I don't know what you're doing, but haven't you heard of a little something called space?" I said trying to back as far away from the figure as I could.

"Hm, why yes, you could be him, if not a little rough around the edges," he said with a croaky old voice, while he rubbed his beard, thinking. "Tell me lad, are you from Kokiri Forest?"

This took me aback. How could he tell I was from Kokiri Forest? I was fully grown and didn't look anything like a kid. There was no way he could know that. Maybe it was just a lucky guess?

However he figured it out, I nodded my head in confirmation.

"Then you are him. Good!" The old looking man sat down next to me against the wall. Without turning his attention away from me. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Nogan, and before you ask, yes, like noggin. It's 'count of all I know, lad. Yup, been stuck with that name so long, I can't even remember my real name." He raised up one of his dark, wrinkled hands to me. "And you are?"

For a moment I hesitated, but ended up shaking his hand as best as I could. "My name is Link."

"Link, hm? Well, it is a pleasure, Link. Now if you don't mind an old man pryin', how did you happen to end up here of all places?"

I looked down at the cuffs on my hands. And for some reason, don't know why, but it finally hit me that I was now a criminal. At least in the eyes of the king anyway.

"I protected my friend from some corrupt guards. They were trying to take advantage of her and I wasn't going to let that happen. I protect an innocent woman from corrupt guards and I'm the one paying for it? Some justice that is," I scoffed, feeling a fleeting moment of anger inside of me. But there was nothing I could do about it, so I calmed myself down before I exploded.

"Now that's something, lad," the old man mused, getting my attention. "I committed a similar 'crime'. Protected a young girl from a batch of guards. 'She stole something valuable', they said. 'I'll pay for it', I said. And that's how I ended up here, guess I really did pay for it. Takes bravery for a man to stand up for someone like that, even knowing what the consequences might be. Yes indeed, bravery. Valor. _Courage_." For some reason, Nogan emphasized the last word.

"Yeah, well, I'm in prison for it. Even if it was courageous."

"No one ever said courage was smart, lad. In fact, doing stupid things for the right reason is usually what courage is all about. From what I can tell, you have a lot of it."

Confused, I looked at him. "Is that supposed to be a compliment, or an insult?"

There was silence in the air for a second, then Nogan laughed uncontrollably. It took him a minute to calm down, but eventually he took a deep breath and responded.

"So not as stupid as I thought. Well lad, you can take it however you like, just know that you are what I said you are. Trust me, we Sheikah know of these things. Has to do with the eye." He pointed to the red symbol on his robe. Suddenly, he jumped up from his position on to his shaking legs.

"Now come on, it's time we got out of here. With knowing who you are, there's something we need to do."

He walked up to me, this time raising his hand towards my chains. As his hand glowed a bright red, so did the chains. I could feel them heating up, and just before the links became scorching hot, they shattered into a million pieces.

I stared at my wrists in disbelief. Magic? This man knew how to use magic? Who was he?

"Hurry, we don't have much time 'fore the guards come back around." I turned my attention back to the man, who was now uncorking a glass bottle. When the top came off, a pink dot flew out. A healing fairy.

It floated towards me and started spinning around me, instantly recognizing I was severely injured. Pink dust settled on my skin, then was absorbed into my body just as quickly as it appeared. After one final spin and using up its magic, the pink fairy disappeared. I was left feeling like nothing had ever been broken in the first place.

Again, I was stunned as I slowly stood up, feeling no pain whatsoever.

"How did you know?" I looked up back at Nogan, only to see he was gone.

"The fairy told me, lad," his voice caught my attention, causing me to turn my head towards him. "Let's go, we really don't have much time." He whacked the end of his walking stick on the stone wall, seeming like it had done nothing at first.

I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing. But before I could say anything, a part of the wall swung back, revealing a dark tunnel that led goddesses only know where.

With a chuckle, he walked into the tunnel, leaving me alone.

I didn't know what this man wanted, or how he knew who I was, _or_ how he knew anything he knew at all. But what I did know was that I had my way out of this cramped cell. Hell if I was going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I followed the old man. Once I entered the tunnel, the slab of stone closed behind me and a glowing light took over my field of vision. Of course, it was the old man. Surprise, surprise. In the palm of his hands was a bright ball of light, lighting the path. Chuckling again, he gestured me with his walking stick and began walking through the mysterious cave.

Having nothing else to lose – and no way to turn back – I followed him.

 _Just who the hell is this guy_? I thought, making a mental note to ask him whenever I got out of this tunnel.

* * *

It felt like we had been walking for hours. Nothing but silence and the glowing ball of light coming from Nogan's hand. Couple that with the cramped space between dirt walls, and I was about to go crazy. But I guess it could be worse, I could still be in that cell waiting for whenever Landon regained consciousness and decided to beat me senseless.

So, I didn't voice any of my complaints to Nogan, instead deciding to just complain inside of my head. That was starting to give me another headache though.

I sighed, hoping that we would be done with this place soon. Never really liked caves, tunnels, or anything dark, cramped, and underground for that matter. Don't know why, guess it just has to do with growing up in open spaces.

"We're almost there, lad," Nogan spoke from up ahead, not even bothering to turn his head to face me.

"Alright. But where exactly are we going?" Deciding to jump on this opportunity, I asked the first question that came to mind. "I mean for all I know, you could be leading us around in circles, we could be lost."

"True, but you have to trust me on this, Link. 'Sides, you will find out soon enough, just let it be known your destiny awaits us at the end of this tunnel."

"Destiny?" This caught my attention.

"Yes. You shall see soon enough."

"You're not even going to let me know what my destiny is? Just gonna leave me in suspense, are you?"

Nogan didn't respond, he just kept walking down the tunnel. Looks like I wouldn't be getting any more answers out of him until we made it to wherever we were going.

Again, I sighed.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_

Not much longer after out small – and weird – conversation, we started climbing up what felt like stairs. Wished he would have warned me, I almost tripped and fell face first into them.

"Thanks for the warning there, old man," I said sarcastically as I regained my footing.

All he did was huff at my statement and continued on up the stairs.

For a few more minutes we kept climbing, until finally Nogan stopped.

Just like he did in the jail cell, he knocked his walking stick against something solid. This time, however, it was against the ceiling – which had suddenly become extremely low I realized.

And like the wall in the jail cell, the ceiling shifted back, revealing a gray sky. Nogan snuffed the light out in his palm and climbed out through the hole. Not wanting to be left behind, I followed.

Once I jumped out of the hole, I examined my surroundings.

All around me were gravestones. Several of them were simple unassuming tablets sticking out of the green grass. Some, however, were magnificent memorials to the corpses these graves housed. I wasn't really too taken aback that Nogan had led me into a graveyard. After all, I had been friends with Dampé and I helped him tend Kakariko Village's graveyard from time to time.

The sound of rock sliding against rock alerted me to the gravestone covering up the hole we used to exit the tunnel. Behind it was Nogan, who seemed unfazed after pushing the heavy gravestone back into place.

After he was satisfied with his work, he gestured me to follow him with his walking stick. As I began following him, it was only then that I noticed where he was leading me to.

Located far from most of the graves was a tall building. The clouds above it seemed to part, letting a bright ray of light shine down upon it. This made it have a scared sort of look to it. But even without the light, it still held that sort of air about it. Three towers rose from the front of the cobble stone building, glass panes placed all across its face. Flowers decorated the gardens in front, ridding more of the depressing air left by the graveyard surrounding it.

And as Nogan and I approached the double doors that led to the buildings inside, I saw the Triforce above the entranceway. I had only been here once before, but this was a place no one could ever forget.

The Temple of Time.

"Come, lad, what I have to show you is inside." I turned my attention away from the awe-inspiring architecture back to Nogan, who was patiently waiting and opening the door for me.

I walked into the temple, never actually having been in it before. What I saw inside stopped me dead in my tracks.

Several pillars rose from the black and white marbled floors to the ceiling, which seemed to never end. Faint, echoing voices of what sounded like a choir rang from wall to wall. From the entrance of the temple to a pedestal in the back, there was a red carpet greeting us. Stone stairs rose to a platform behind the pedestal, with an interestingly designed wall rising from the ground. And above the wall, the golden triangles of the Triforce.

Nogan nudged past me, snapping me out of my thoughts again.

"No time for sightseeing, lad. There is much we must do, and much I have to tell you."

The old man walked up to the pedestal, waiting for me as I followed behind him. Once we were both in front of the pedestal, Nogan turned to me.

"Welcome, Link, to the Temple of Time." Nogan pointed his staff at me shakily. "It is here you shall forge your path and begin your destiny."

I folded my arms across my chest, tired of being left in the dark. "And what exactly is my destiny?" I glared at Nogan, wanting him to finally answer my questions.

"To save Hyrule, of course. What? You think I'd be leading you here for anything less important?"

I stared at Nogan, letting my arms fall to my sides. Then, I began laughing uneasily. Surely he had to be joking. Save Hyrule? Me? Yeah, right, that couldn't be true. For a few moments I just kept laughing while Nogan patiently waited for me to stop.

Wiping away a tear of mirth, I said in disbelief, "Me, a ranch hand, is supposed to save Hyrule? I don't think so. You think I'm a hero of legend? You must have hit your head against the tunnel's ceiling, old man. I can't be the hero."

Nogan said nothing until I was finished ranting. When I was done, he replied, "And why not you? Most, if not all heroes of legend have come from the bloodline of simple folk. _You_ are no exception, lad."

"And what exactly am I supposed to be saving Hyrule from?" I asked, if only to amuse the old man.

"The man who has planned the demise of Hyrule for years, who has stolen the throne right out from under the Royal Family. Who wishes to cover the world in darkness and replace it with his ideal image. Who wants nothing more than to hold the power of the Triforce. The Gerudo Thief-King, Ganondorf."

"Guess that makes sense, he's already doing a good job of ruining Hyrule already. And just why would I want to become the hero anyway? I'm happy with my life as it is." Even I could hear how unsure I sounded, but all I really did want to do was return to Lon Lon Ranch and make sure Malon was alright. I turned on my heels and made for the door, having enough of this nonsense. All I wanted was to protect Malon from the hell that was sure to follow because of what I did to the Hylian Guards.

"I'm done with this. You're just spinning me stories, and I'm not a hero. Now if you're done wasting my time, I have some problems of my own I have to fix. Thanks for everything, old man, but this is where I leave."

Before I even made it a step towards the door, Nogan grabbed my shoulder and held me in my place. I struggled, trying to free myself from his grasp. For an old man, this guy sure had one hell of a grip.

Without letting go, Nogan turned me around. From under his hood, I saw a single red eye staring back it me. Even if Nogan wasn't holding me, I don't know if I could leave. It felt like the weight of him staring at me with his red eye would keep me in my place.

"Lad, listen to me and listen carefully," Nogan said with a growl. "Believe me when I say you are the hero Hyrule needs at this very moment. If you don't rise up, then no one will. And if you leave now, you'll go about the last few days of your 'normal' life thinking on my words and wondering if what I said was true. Only when Ganondorf rises to true power will you realize that I was right. Then, all your friends, family, even that girl you risked your neck for will eventually be captured, tortured, and killed. Or worse." Nogan let go of my shoulder. "And you will only have yourself to blame. Now, do you want that?"

I stood unmoving, letting the weight of his words crash down on me like a wave of water. Malon, Talon, Jo, Saria. If Nogan was even remotely right, then if I walked away from here like I wanted to, they would all get hurt. And it would be my fault. All my life I've wanted to protect my friends, now some crazy old man was giving me that chance. So why should I turn it down?

I thought on this question for a few moments, coming up with no answers besides returning to protect Malon. But even then that would be just a temporary fix.

With a deep breath, I decided.

"Okay, Nogan. Prove that I'm the hero, and I'll do what you need me to." Might as well humor him, and if he was right, then he was right.

Nogan's red eye disappeared from under his hood. "Good."

Was it just me or did it sound like he snarled a little there?

Before I could think about it any longer, Nogan reached into his robe and fished something out. He grabbed my hand with his empty one and placed a familiar feeling shape in there. Taking his hand off of mine revealed a blue ocarina.

It was beautifully crafted. I took the instrument and let my fingers play around with it. It didn't feel like wood, it was too heavy to be that. So what could it be made out of? I shrugged, deciding to instead play it. But as I raised it to my lips, Nogan grabbed my wrist. I looked at him questioningly, wondering why he stopped me.

"Not yet, lad."

Nogan let go of my wrist, shuffling over to the left end of the pedestal. Reaching into his robe again, he produced a green gem. Its design looked oddly familiar, but I didn't get the chance to look at it long enough as he placed the little gem into an indent in the pedestal. The gem fit in it perfectly, like they were meant for each other.

Then, Nogan shuffled to the middle of the pedestal, reaching into his robe and producing another gem. This one was red, however, outlined by a v-shaped piece of gold. Again, he placed it into the little indent on the pedestal, and again it fit like a glove. After that, he shuffled to the right end of the pedestal and produced another gem. It was blue, this time, and looked like a snowflake in a way thanks to the gold that surrounded and connected the three separate pieces of the gem.

The old man stepped back from the pedestal and pointed with his walking stick to in front of where he placed the red gem.

"Stand here, lad." I did as I was told, taking my place. "Good. Now, I want you to raise the ocarina I gave you to your lips. This is an heirloom passed down by members of the Royal Family. When Princess Zelda fled, she entrusted me with its safekeeping, knowing I would protect it from Ganondorf."

"So you're not just any old man then?" I said with a grin. Knew he was more than he let on.

"You catch on quick, lad. Put the instrument to your lips, but don't play anything."

Again, I did as I was told.

"Now close your eyes and listen."

Looking at him with confusion, I closed my eyes. What would I hear? He didn't specify anything, and it's not like I wouldn't have heard it if I...

My train of thought stopped. In my head, a blurry shadowy figure appeared. Before I could even try to figure out who it was, I heard it.

A song, the same song I heard the invisible choir chanting in the temple, played. It rose, then fell, but rose again, over and over. All I could do was listen to the enchanting music. After listening to the song one more time, it disappeared and it was then that I realized what I had to do.

Without opening my eyes, I played the same song, not missing any of the notes.

I opened my eyes, seeing nothing happen. That is, nothing happening immediately. Not much longer after I finished playing the song I heard in my head, the beautifully designed wall slid down. Another secret door? Really?

Both Nogan and I watched as the door slowly revealed a secret room behind it. It wasn't until it had completely opened that either Nogan or I moved. Climbing up the stairs to the door, Nogan was the first to enter the room with me following closely behind him.

As I entered the hidden room, my gaze was directed to its center. Lightened by the many glass panes surrounding it was a sword. It stood straight up, its blade buried halfway in stone. The purple hilt of the blade looked like wings ready to fly, and located where the steel ended was the Triforce.

I stared in awe, slowly walking towards the blade. For some reason I couldn't explain, I felt some sort of connection with the sword. It was like I was meant to wield it, or like I had wielded it before. Something connected me to this sword. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to know what it was.

"The Master Sword," Nogan mused, stopping me in my tracks. Turning my attention to him, I realized I had climbed the short steps up to the sword, almost able to touch it. "The Blade of Evil's Bane, only able to be wielded by those the goddesses claim as their chosen hero. And from how you reacted to seeing it, I'd say that only solidifies the theory that you truly are the hero spoken of in legend."

His words did make sense, I had to admit. After all, why would I feel so strongly about something I had never once seen in my life? Who knows, maybe it was just coincidence?

"It's providence, lad." Nogan walked up to my side and looked at the blade with me. "You are meant to draw this sword, strike down Ganondorf, and save Hyrule. But, there is only one way to prove you are truly chosen. Go ahead," he gestured to the Master Sword with his walking stick "draw the Blade of Evil's Bane from its resting place. Awaken both its and your power."

I hesitated slightly, looking at the blade. Then, I took a deep breath and took my place in front of the Master Sword. Releasing my breath and continuing to calmly breathe in and out, I rested my hands on the sword's hilt. Something surged from the sword to me when I touched it. Never had I felt anything like it. It gave me the courage I needed, getting rid of all doubt in my mind. Then, using all my might, I pulled at the sword. With one strong, swift motion, the sword was released from its resting place.

A rush of blue light flew up from the pedestal I had just pulled the Master Sword from. I could feel a strong gust of wind along with it, nearly blowing my over. But I held my ground – and the Master Sword – as best as I could.

Once the light had settled, I raised the sword so the sunlight reflected off of the blade. I smirked, feeling triumphant. Guess I really was the chosen hero. Who knew?

Lowering the sword, my grin turned into a frown. I was amazed knowing that I truly was a descendant of other heroes, but it felt like, I don't know, something more amazing was supposed to happen. Like a vision, or something. That's how every other hero's journey started.

"Hey, Nogan," I began, not taking my eyes away from the Master Sword. "Was something else supposed to happen, or…?"

"No, lad, no. You did as you were supposed to." He walked up to my side. " _Exactly_ as you were supposed to."

That sounded odd, sinister even. Like it wasn't Nogan.

Before I could ask him about it, I felt a sharp pain in my back. I had never felt anything like it, and for a moment, it just felt like a numb buzzing feeling. But then I collapsed onto my knees as blood began to soak my clothes and flow continuously from my back. I dropped the Master Sword as I turned to see that a dagger was now buried in my skin up to its hilt. With shocked, wide eyes, I looked up to Nogan.

"Nogan, why?" I asked, shocked as to why he would do such a thing.

"You can no longer address me, _boy_ ," he spat with a voice that sounded very unlike Nogan's, but more like the voice I heard earlier when remembering what had happened to me. A powerful voice, an evil voice. As if to confirm my suspicions, he cackled just as that unknown voice had. "But I will say, you have done well. You foolish boy, you have just doomed all of Hyrule. And for that, you have my thanks, so I give you the gift of a less painful death than most will receive in the coming days."

"What?" Dumbfounded, and barely able to speak, I tried to stand on my two feet. A solid kick to my gut kept me down, though. For an old man, he sure could inflict pain.

Coughing and gasping for air, all of the strength I had remaining left me. I collapsed to the ground. I could barely keep my eyes open thanks to the blood loss.

"You see, my name really isn't Nogan, nor am I an old man." Without even letting me speak, a dark, purple light enveloped Nogan. I couldn't see past the light. Then, when it had disappeared, a tall man with dark skin and red hair stood where Nogan had previously stood. He wore a sinister smile and his clothes reminded me of the ones the Gerudo wore.

Then, two horrifying realizations dawned upon me. Male, dark skin, red hair, clothing made in the Gerudo fashion. He was the Thief-King of the Gerudo, the Usurper.

But even worse, I recognized him. I had seen his face countless times. It had haunted me ever since I was a child living with the Kokiri. The face of the man who had appeared and killed me in my sleep countless times.

My heart dropped and I felt the same fear I had felt in my nightmares. This time, it was real and this time, I was going to die.

"My name is Ganondorf," he finished "and I have come to take the power of the goddesses to rule this land and all who inhabit it. Again, I have you to thank for that. By drawing the Master Sword from its place, you have opened the way to the Sacred Realm. The very same Sacred Realm where the Triforce waits for any man to claim it. And that man will be me."

He began cackling again, this time with more earnest. Goddesses I hated that cackle, but I couldn't do anything about it. All I could do was die, knowing that this was my fault. I let this evil usurper talk me into helping him, believing his words. Even though those words were true, it still didn't change anything. Ganondorf would enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce for himself. Then he would destroy Hyrule and kill everyone in it. Including my friends.

Talon, looks like you're going to need a new ranch hand to help out with Epona. Jo, hope Ingo and the rest of the ranch hands won't give you too much trouble without me. Saria, guess we won't be seeing each other again, I'm sorry I left you without ever explaining myself.

And Malon.

She was the last person I thought of. My best friend would be left alone in this doomed world, and I couldn't protect her. And it didn't mean a thing to this man. All I could think of was how I couldn't do anything to stop him from harming her in anyway.

As I closed my eyes for what I thought would be the last time, I chuckled grimly at myself. What a hero I turned out to be.

 _Sorry, Mal. Looks like I'll be breaking my promise. I won't be right behind you._

Behind my eye lids, I swore I saw a flash of light and heard a small explosion. Guess it was time. Was it too much to hope that maybe I was being saved? No, I doubt it, this wasn't one of those legends where the hero was saved by some mysterious force at the last minute. This was just my story, and with my terrible luck, I knew that I was now passing on to the afterlife.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey y'all!**

 **Happy Twilight Princess HD release day, in America at least! Damn I wish I could play it… Guess I'll stick with Fire Emblem. Woe is me! So, first,t his is part of my double-release today, also putting out a return chapter for my Post-TP fanfic as well! Y'all can go check that out on my profile, or just look it up,** _ **More than One Hero can Mend**_ **! It would be great if y'all gave that chapter a read after this one! So, please review, follow, and favorite if y'all are willing, and enjoy TPHD to all you lucky dogs out there! Enjoy the story, folks!**

 **I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: ...and Into the Fire**

 _"Link. It is time for you to awaken."_

 _A mysterious voice was calling out to me. It wanted me to wake up? I guess so, but I really didn't want to. Sleep felt too good right now._

 _"Now, Link. You are needed to save Hyrule."_

 _Save Hyrule? I was already dead, so why did it matter if I could save Hyrule or not? If I could, well Ganondorf had killed me, so I couldn't do anything about that. And if I couldn't, then it wouldn't matter if he had killed me._

 _"Link… The chosen one…"_

 _Alright, fine!_

 _Opening my eyes, I noticed that the afterlife wasn't at all what I expected._

 _First of all, I thought I would be lying on a bed of clouds, not a platform that was built to look like the Triforce. Second, where the hell was I? This did not look like the afterlife was supposed to._

 _Several platforms floated all around me. Water seemed to form and fall from them, with rays of light shining down on the center of each one. Including the one I stood on, I soon realized. What made this platform different from the others, however, was the Triforce I stood in the center of and the six smaller platforms with different symbols and colors._

 _And as I stood up, I noticed one of them was occupied by an old man._

 _He stood on the smaller yellow platform in front of me. The man had a white beard covering much of his face and looked like it circled around to the back of his head. His hand was pointed at me, or so I thought. Honestly I couldn't tell since the orange monk robes covered his entire body, except his head._

 _Lowering his arm, the old man spoke. "Good, you have woken up. We must be quick, I have little time to explain much."_

 _I tried to reply, wondering what he meant by that. But nothing came out. Shocked, I tried speaking again. Still nothing. Why couldn't I talk?!_

 _"Peace, Link, your voice will be returned to you once I am finished." A small, hearty chuckle followed._

 _Great, he shut me up so I wouldn't interrupt him? Smart ass._

 _Before he spoke again, the old man became serious once more. "I'm sure you have many questions that you wish for me to answer. First, my name. I am Rauru, Sage of Light and protector of the Temple of Light, the center of the Sacred Realm. And you stand in the Chamber of Sages inside the Temple of Light, your spirit brought here after inadvertently opening the entrance to the Sacred Realm and being betrayed by Ganondorf._

 _"Lucky for you, you are still alive after what happened. I'm not sure how, but your spirit being here proves it. However…" The mood grew more and more somber. Rauru looked down at the ground. "By drawing the Master Sword, the final key to the Sacred Realm, from the Pedestal of Time, and thus opening the entrance to the Sacred Realm for any who wished to enter, Ganondorf has claimed the power he sought. He used you, as those evil ones cannot touch the Master Sword, let alone awaken it from its rest. Only the Hero of Time, the one foreseen to save Hyrule, can pull the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. And Ganondorf used that to his advantage."_

 _My heart dropped at this. Wide-eyed, I looked at Rauru. Though I thought as much, it felt terrible hearing that it had actually happened. So, I really had helped Ganondorf claim the Triforce. Even if I didn't know what exactly the Triforce was, I had heard legends about men fighting over it and the amazing power it held. If so many men died for it, and tales about its power were right, then who knew what Ganondorf could do with it. I'm guessing it was nothing good._

 _"Yes, it is true. All of Hyrule is now in grave danger from this mad man. Even now, at this very moment, Ganondorf's evil springs forth from Hyrule's temples. However, something did happen that Ganondorf did not anticipate." This got my attention and broke me away from my self-loathing. "The Triforce, upon being touched by the corrupt hands of Ganondorf, shattered into three equal pieces, diminishing its abilities. One, the Triforce of Power, was claimed by Ganondorf. Another, the Triforce of Wisdom, broke apart to seek out someone worthy of it. While the third and final piece, the Triforce of Courage, Farore's last gift to Hyrule, was entrusted," Rauru pointed his hand back at me "to you."_

 _Again, I was shocked. I now held a piece of the Triforce? That couldn't be right, why would the goddesses give me something so powerful, so important._

 _"I sense your disbelief, Link. But look on the back of your left hand and you will see that I speak true."_

 _I looked at my hand and noticed something that wasn't there before. The Triforce was etched out on it, with the right piece glowing brighter than the others. It seemed to shine more the longer I looked at it._

 _So, it had to be true. I now possessed one of Hyrule's greatest legends. But why?_

 _"This piece of the Triforce is usually associated with those many heroes of legends that rise up to save Hyrule from destruction and chaos. If having drawn the Master Sword from its resting place was not proof enough, Link, then let this show that you are the chosen one. That the goddesses have deemed you worthy of being named the Hero of Time."_

 _Looking back at Rauru, I could feel my heart beating faster. Did the goddesses really believe that I could stop Ganondorf from destroying Hyrule? Did I even believe myself? Could I do it?_

 _I thought about this for a few seconds, coming to a realization._

 _Now filled with determination, I knew that even if I didn't believe in me, there were people who did. Not just the goddesses or Rauru, but Saria as well. Even Talon and Jo trusted me, believed in me. And Malon, too. I had people who were counting on me to stop Ganondorf. There was no way in hell I was going to let them down._

 _Rauru smiled. Guess he could feel my change in attitude. Or read my thoughts._

 _"Good, Link. I'm afraid our time is now up, however. I leave you with a parting gift. Take this, as you will need it."_

 _Rauru threw something to me. I caught it in my hands and examined it. It looked like a golden coin, matching the design of the smaller platform that Rauru stood on._

" _This is my spirit, the Pendant of Light. Visit the temples, awaken the other sages, just as you have me, and collect their respective pendants. Our power alone cannot compare to the King of Evil. Only when all of us have convened here in the Chamber of Sages – and combined with your power – can we stop Ganondorf and seal his evil. Go, Hero of Time, I wish you the best of luck."_

 _When Rauru had finished speaking, everything was bathed in a blinding white light. A few words echoed in my head as I left the Chamber of Sages._

" _Find the other sages and save Hyrule!"_

* * *

I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was the ceiling above me. The second thing I noticed was the bed I was laying on. Breathing a sigh of relief I sat up, chuckling as I did so. A selfish chuckling that turned into an almost maniacal laughter. Who could blame me? I had just woken up in the real world still alive after thinking I was dead. Damn did it feel good.

Once I calmed down, I felt something in the palm of my hand. Opening it up, I saw the very thing Rauru gave me in my dream. The Pendant of Light. I pocketed it for safe keeping. Well, safer keeping.

My eyebrows furrowed. All of this was real, it wasn't a dream. Being named the Hero of Time, real. Listening to Rauru tell me everything about my destiny in the Chamber of Sages, real. The Triforce of Courage choosing me.

I took a double-take at the back of my left hand, seeing the familiar shape of the Triforce etched on it.

Yup, real.

Everything that had happened to me, all of this stuff that seemed to belong only in legends, it was all real. Hell, even me being chosen by the Master Sword was real. Speaking of…

Where the hell was it?

That was when I started to panic. Spastically, I looked all around myself without any sign of it. It wasn't under the bed, and it wasn't under the mattress. Now I was beginning to lose it. How the hell could I have lost the sword that was supposed to help me save Hyrule from Ganondorf?

Did he take it? No, Rauru said he couldn't even touch the sword. Maybe I left it in the Temple of Time? That was just as bad!

"Dammit, where the hell is it?!" I exclaimed as I started looking throughout the room more thoroughly.

"I assume you're looking for the Master Sword?"

A voice from behind me caught me off guard and caused me to jump back, startled. The voice belonged to a man who wore blue tights and white rags that covered parts of his body and face. He looked like he was at least my age. It was hard to tell since all I could see were tufts of blond hair and one red eye. On his chest was the same symbol that Nogan – Ganondorf – wore.

I narrowed my eyes, figuring this was probably one of the Evil King's henchmen.

"You're with Ganondorf, aren't you?" I growled, simultaneously looking for ways to escape or something to fight him off with.

"What? Of course not. I oppose him, just as you do. We're on the same side." He sounded sincere, but I still didn't trust him. After all, Ganondorf managed to trick me, who's to say this guy couldn't?

I said nothing in response and kept eyeing the 'Sheikah' suspiciously.

"You don't believe me? Then I'll prove it. Wait here."

With that, the man seemed to just disappear by jumping up into the rafters of the room I was in. Actually, now that I was looking around, where the hell was I?

The room was actually quite big, and looked large enough to be the whole building. I also noticed that the bed I had been placed in was actually on a loft of some kind. A brick stair case led to the ground floor, which I followed down.

A small cooking area was at the foot of the stairs. In the center of the one room building was a meager table with a purple cloth on it and red rug underneath it. Several pieces of paper with maps, plans and drawings on them were scattered around the building. On the wall opposite the staircase was a book shelf that stretched from one end of the room to the other, filled to the brim with various titles and tomes. And… was that a cow caged in the far corner of the room?

 _Moo!_

Yup, definitely a living, breathing cow. Why the hell was a cow here?

I shook my head, choosing to ignore it. What really caught my attention was the door. It was the only door in the entire building, so it had to lead outside.

But before I could even try leaving, the Sheikah dropped down from the rafters in front of me. This time, I completely fell backwards, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking over me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I grumbled as I stood back up. "Now, you're going to prove to me you're not working with Ganondorf?"

"Yes, and this is it."

In his hands, drawn towards me was the Master Sword. I took a step back, thinking he was going to strike me, but then I realized something. He was holding the sword. As Rauru had told me, anyone who sided with Ganondorf wouldn't be able to touch it, let alone fully draw it.

I relaxed, knowing that this man couldn't be working with Ganondorf.

"The Master Sword, you can hold it."

"That I can. I assume that serves as enough proof?" Lowering the sword, he sheathed it away. Wait, where'd that purple sheath come from? I don't remember having that with me. "But it belongs to you, Hero of Time, not me. Take it."

With that, he throw the sword at me, allowing me to barely catch it before it hit me. I strapped the Master Sword on to my back, shrugging my shoulders and not worrying about where he got the sheath from. After all, I would probably need one sooner or later.

"So, if you're not working with Ganondorf, who are you? Where am I? Also, you know while we're at it, what the hell happened?" This all came out as very snarky, but I really did need to know what had happened while I was passed out. I didn't recognize where we were or remember anything after supposedly dying in the Temple of Time.

 _Dying. Damn, I could be dead right now. Don't think I'd forget that anytime soon._

"Well, to answer your first question, I'm Sheik, one of the last members of the Sheikah race." He seemed to completely ignore my attitude, either that or he didn't notice. Wasn't sure. I started to respond, wanting to say who I was, but he stopped me with his hand. "I know who you are, Hero of Time. Link from Lon Lon Village, but originally from Kokiri Village. You left when you were young, however, traveled Hyrule and worked at Lon Lon Ranch for the past three years, am I correct?"

A little too correct. Stunned, I looked at him with my jaw hanging open. How the hell did he know all that about me? Was my personal life really not that personal?

"Just how in the goddesses' names do you know all that?! And don't say lucky guess!" I responded instead of giving him a yes.

"My network is vast and I'm very good at keeping track of it, if I do say so myself. But that is not important."

 _Says you. You didn't just have someone you never met tell you that they basically know who you are_ , I thought crossing my arms in annoyance.

"As for where we are, I have brought you to my mentor's home in Kakariko Village. Her home will serve us well. We're safely out of Ganondorf's reach, for the moment."

Kakariko Village, huh? Guess it's as good a place as any. Would have been nice if he took us back to Lon Lon instead.

"And what happened was that I saved you from Ganondorf, which I do not believe I have received any thanks for as of yet."

I rubbed the back of my head, trying not to make eye contact with Sheik. "Yeah, sorry about that. Just hard to trust people after what happened with Ganondorf. But anyway, thanks."

"I understand," the Sheikah replied humbly, as he leaned against the wall. "Moving on, I had been watching the Temple of Time for a while now, waiting to see if anyone of intrigue would enter. With Ganondorf having taken the throne of Hyrule, I was expecting it to happen sooner or later. When you and he entered the temple, I followed suit, waiting to see what would happen. Once the old man who was disguised as Ganondorf placed the Sacred Stones to open the Door of Time, I knew then who he was. From there, I followed you in and when he betrayed you, I rescued you. After that, I had some of the guards I trusted help me take you here, where I healed you wounds with a fairy."

 _So that explained why my side didn't have a hole in it anymore_. I placed my hand where the wound had been, feeling a bit of a tingling sensation from the small remnants of fairy magic.

"I hope that suffices for an answer."

For a moment, I just looked at the floor, thinking over what Sheik had said and what had happened to me over the course of a couple days. When did my life become so weird? I chuckled, finding something amusing in that for some reason. Shaking my head, I looked back at Sheik.

"It is and again, thanks."

Sheik nodded his head in approval after propelling himself from the wall. "You are welcome, Hero of Time. Now, you must prepare, as I'm sure you have a long road ahead of you if you are going to save Hyrule. First, you must destroy the darkness lurking in each of Hyrule's temples."

How the hell did he know about that?

"To do that, however," he continued before I could even ask anything "you will need sufficient gear to get you through to the end. Here."

The Sheikah produced a bag from seemingly out of nowhere. He tossed the bag to me, which I caught much easier than the sword. Opening it revealed several rupees, causing my jaw to drop once again. It was more rupees than I had ever seen in one place, I was sure of it. The amount of food I could buy with this…

"That money is for equipment and supplies, plenty of which can be found in many of Kakariko's shops. While you do that, there is something I must attend to. Once you are finished, please meet me back here. Then we can discuss what our next course of action should be. Until then, farewell."

Before I could even say anything in response, Sheik disappeared into the rafters again, leaving no trace that he had ever been there. I blinked my eyes a few times, coming to terms with what I had to do. Shoving the bag of money, I walked out the door into the familiar village. However, there was something I had to do before I did this errand that Sheik had sent me on. A promise to an old friend that I still haven't forgotten about.

I paused a moment before I exited the humble home.

 _When the hell did this journey of mine that I just found out about only a day before become 'we'?_

What have I gotten myself into now? I sighed and left the building, taking a side trip to the eastern half of Kakariko Village before going to marketplace.

* * *

Walking into the Kakariko Graveyard sent chills up my spin, just like it always had. Never had I really liked the place, but Dampé had always been a close friend of mine who would help me whenever I was in need. He was a great man and the day he died, roughly a year ago, I felt like the world had lost someone who would do anything to help those close to him. Too bad not many people gave him a chance; since he was a gravekeeper many of the villagers just wrote him off as a creepy, evil individual. But he was quite the opposite.

And now, hearing the familiar squawking of the birds, seeing the familiar grave stones, I remembered some of the times I helped Dampé around the graveyard.

One memory that stuck out among the rest was when we accidently disturbed a Poe's grave. That was an interesting experience, fighting one of those ghosts. Lucky for Dampé, I was able to defeat the monster before it could escape the graveyard. That would only hurt the gravekeeper's reputation even more. As a reward, he let me keep the Poe in a glass bottle, which I sold for a very hefty sum to some weird man in purple rags in Castle Town. Just remembering the odd man sent another of wave of chills down my span.

And this other time, I was tending the graves as a kid and found this weird heart shaped jewel. Holding it made me feel warm inside and it shined brightly in the sun, so it had to be valuable. I took it into Kakariko Village to sell it, but no one saw any worth in this mysterious gem. So, I just gave it to Dampé, who said he ended up giving it to a starving Goron who was looking for a tasty gem to eat. Guess he ate it, because I never saw the thing again. Oh well, it probably wasn't anything important.

Anyway, back to why I was here.

Walking through the numerous graves, I finally came to the one I wanted to visit. Written on its face was:

 _Dampé_

 _Gravekeeper and friend to few_

 _Year of 105 to 169 of the Era of Time_

 _What an unworthy epitaph for such a great friend_. A bad taste rose to my mouth, unhappy about the fact that the villagers buried him without me here to see him off.

For a few moments, I stood in reverent silence, passing on a few good words that would hopefully reach Dampé, wherever he was. My silent vigil didn't last long, however, as I heard the clinging of metal being drug across the cobblestone pathway of the graveyard.

I turned around, knowing full well who it was. After all he was the only person who would come to the graveyard daily. It was Dampé's apprentice, Jim. Walking up to me, I noticed he still wore the same clothes he always had. The white sheet with black sleeves, the blue shorts and mud-encrusted leather boots. And how could I forget the red bandana he always wore that covered most of his head, except for a bit of red hair hanging out in the front.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Link. Dampé's supposed friend." Oh, right, I forgot to mention he was completely insufferable. He never really liked me since Dampé seemed to pay more attention to me than him. What could I say? Guess it was the likeable face that won him over.

Sighing, I replied, "Hello, Jim. Still sore about me not being here when Dampé passed I see."

"Damn right I am! What makes you think he wants you to visit him, huh? You weren't even here to say goodbye." He spoke so annoyingly, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble. I just wanted to visit Dampé's grave one more time before I left."

"You're finally leaving again? Good, no one wants you around here anyways," the boy huffed. Yes, I still thought he was a boy, even if he was only a couple years younger than me. The way he acted proved it.

"Only you don't want me around here," I said aside as I began walking past the new gravekeeper.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing," I said over my shoulder, waving back to Jim without turning around. "See you around, Jim."

"Wait a minute, Link."

I stopped in my tracks and turned around partway to look at Jim. Arching my eyebrow I asked him what he wanted.

He stood silent for a minute, looking like he was battling with himself between saying something or not saying anything. After the second minute passed, I rolled my eyes as I began walking away, not even bothering to say any sort of farewell to Jim.

"Dampé wanted you to have something." This caught my attention. I turned around fully this time, waiting to hear what else Jim had to say. "Before he died, he told me he found something in one of the graves. Some sort of weird treasure, and he wanted to give it to you. But he died before he could, so I buried it along with his coffin. It's time I fulfilled his last wish."

Before I could say anything in response, he turned towards Dampé's grave and dug some of the compacted dirt out of the way. Once he was satisfied he was deep enough, he kneeled down and took a medium sized wooden box out of the grave. Then, he filled it back up again. Sticking his shovel in the ground, he picked up the box and walked over to me.

Jim stared at the box for a second, then shoved it into my hands without saying a word. He went back and grabbed his shovel. Walking away from me to tend to the other graves, he looked over his shoulder, saying one more thing to me.

"I don't get why you were always his favorite friend and not me. I'll never understand it…" With that, he left me, looking more downtrodden than I had ever seen him. A part of me felt sorry for the guy, since he probably never had many friends to begin with.

Once he was fully out of sight, I set the box on the cobblestoned pathway and knelt down to open it. What was inside was not what I expected.

It was a weird cylinder-like device with a handle and trigger on one end, and a sharp point like an arrowhead – but bigger – on the other. Wrapped around the body of the object was a long, coiled up chain.

I looked at the object, examining it from all sides, wondering what it was. Thinking that maybe it was a weapon or something like one, and thanks to my curiosity, I grabbed hold of the handle and pulled back the trigger with my finger.

The weapon recoiled with more force than I expected, thrusting my elbow into my gut, knocking some of the wind out of me. However, I still held on to the weapon, noticing that the chain that was coiled around the purple cylinder was spiraling out of the end of the weapon connected to the hook. I watched as the metal head flew through the air and into the bark of one of the few trees in the cemetery with a solid 'thunk'.

I pulled on the chain, trying to pry the metal head from the wood it sunk into. With all my might, I pulled at the weapon. That was when I decided to use both my hands, letting go of the trigger that my finger still held back. Big mistake.

Immediately, once the trigger was released, the weapon started wounding the chain back up, without the metal head letting go of the tree. This caused me to fly through the air as the chain pulled me forcefully from my spot. Once I realized what had happened, I quickly maneuvered my body so that my feet would hit the bark first.

My feet hit the tree's rough exterior on mark. For a second, I celebrated my victory internally, surprised I was able to stop myself from slamming face first into the lone tree. But that victory was short lived as the metal head of the weapon finally plucked itself from the bark, leaving me nothing to hold onto. I landed directly on my back with a surprised scream.

Shakily standing up, I looked at the weapon.

 _Well, that's helpful, but dammit I hope that doesn't happen every time I use it_. My head reeled from hitting one of the cobblestones on the pathway, forcing me to slowly walk back to the box that held the weapon originally.

I made to the put it back into the box, but noticed a small slip of paper hidden in its confines. It looked hastily written, but seemed like it was addressed to me. Or I assumed so, since it was in the same box that held Dampé's gift.

Picking up the piece of paper, I read through it.

 _Link,_

 _I wanted to show this 'ere thingy-ma-jig to ya, but I didn't have the time. Hey, no hard feelings, just hope ya kept yur promise. And if yu're readin' this letter, I'm sure ya have. Otherwise, I'm sure Jim is steamin' about this and didn't tell ya, or took the thing for 'imself. Darn bugger. Anyway, this little twerp I like to call the hookshot, I'm sure yu've already figured out why I called it that, knowin' ya._

I smiled and could almost hear Dampé's decrepit laughter.

 _Take good care of 'er, Link. You were always a good friend who treated me like a normal person. So, this is my thanks for all those years of help an' friendship. I hope this 'ere weapon serves ya well._

 _From the dead, come an' take me,_

 _Dampé, the Gravekeeper_

 _(P.S. Don't do anything with it that I wouldn't, heh heh)_

After I finished reading the letter, I went over it once more. Still smiling and still hearing Dampé's laughter, a single tear rolled down my face. I quickly wiped it away, placing both the note and the hookshot back in the box. As I walked back to Kakariko Village, gift in hand, I swore I could hear the shuffling feet of an old man who – even though he was as misunderstood as the rest of us – only had one true friend in this world. And I was happy to know that it was my friendship that meant that much to him.

* * *

I quickly visited town, working my way through the shops that seemed to have stuff I would need.

A bazaar sold bombs, which I picked up along with a bomb bag for safe keeping. Never know when you might need to blow something sky high. Seeming like a good idea, as well, I bought a knapsack there. After all, I needed something to carry all the supplies I was buying.

Then, I went to the medicine shop close by. They sold bottles of red potion that I'm sure I would desperately need. If I was going to be fighting monsters in these temples, this liquid would be invaluable to me. Unfortunately I had to spend a few extra rupees on the bottles themselves.

"Supply and demand," the guy said.

 _Well you're a cheapskate, I say_.

Leaving the building, I felt like I was swindled in there. But, there was nothing I could do about it. He wouldn't budge, and I needed the potions. I sighed. Goddesses did I hate dealing with merchants like him.

Next I found my way to the marketplace, where farmers from all around Hyrule were selling some of their food. As I came to the first stalls, my mouth began to water

They had food from every corner of Hyrule. Faronian chestnuts to Windfall corn, and Lon Lon milk to Kakariko dried cucco. I scrambled for almost anything and everything that I could buy.

 _Going to need some dry meat, yup_ , I thought hungrily. _A few apples here and some chestnuts. Why not? After all Sheik is buying! Are those bottles of fish stew?! Yes, I will most definitely take a few of those, thank you!_

Once I had bought everything that I had a deemed a 'necessity', and cleaned out Sheik's wallet in the process, I made my way back to the Sheikah's house, everything – including Dampé's gift – snuggly packed away in my knapsack.

Opening the door, I called Sheik's name, wondering if he was at home or still taking care of whatever he had to take care of. Walking into the room, I put the knapsack and Master Sword on the table. Nothing. Guess he wasn't back yet.

"Link," I heard a voice say from behind me. Besides nearly giving me a heart attack, I nearly jumped into the house's rafters myself. I rose my fists, having developed this self-defense mechanism ever since I left Kokiri Forest. Of course, it was just Sheik.

"Dammit, Sheik, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I said. "You really need to wear a bell or something, you know?"

"And if I wore a bell, enemies would know I was coming," Sheik countered simply, the joke going over his head.

"Yeah, and so would I," I replied, still trying to calm my heart down. Once I had, I continued. "Anyway, I bought all the stuff I needed. Some bombs, red potions, a little bit of food, and a knapsack to put it all in."

Sheik looked behind me to see all that I had placed on the table. Then, he turned his attention back to me, chuckling a little bit.

"What's so funny?" I asked, a little irritated that his laugh was probably aimed at me.

"Nothing, just how you packed your knapsack is ridiculous." We both looked back at the pack, seeing several things bulging out from the top and areas of the knapsack starting to look like they would rip. Maybe I should rethink how much food I would need…

"But it doesn't matter, you won't be needing it," Sheik continued. As I turned back to face her, I noticed she had something in her hands now. It was a pile of clothes with a green tunic standing out amongst them.

"And why wouldn't it matter?" I asked, still examining the clothes.

"You'll see, just put these on."

I did as I was told, taking the clothes almost reverently from the Sheikah's hands. It almost felt like these clothes were meant for me, in a way, and that they needed to be handled carefully. Yet, I couldn't figure out why. Probably because I was the Hero of Time? I shrugged, climbing up the stairs to the loft.

Quickly changing out of my torn and dirty ranch hand clothes, I put on the new garments. First, the tan pants and undershirt went on, as well as the leather gloves and boots provided for me. Then, I put on the chainmail, having it come down to the top of my thighs. Finally, I donned the green tunic, falling to where the chainmail ended. After wrapping the belt and pouch around my waist, I felt like I wasn't wearing a dress. And of course, last but not least, I put on my signature hat. Every other bit of clothing could be left here, but no way was I leaving the hat behind.

Satisfied, I went back downstairs, only to see all of the stuff I packed in my knapsack unpacked on the table.

I caught Sheik's attention, who had just finished taking everything out of the pack.

"You look good in those clothes. As fitting a hero as any," he said.

I raised my eyebrow quizzically.

 _I look good in these clothes? What the hell…?_

Sheik didn't really seem to notice anything, as he just kept taking care of organizing everything. So, I shrugged it off, forgetting about it.

"So what was this about me not needing that knapsack?" I asked as I came up to the table.

"You won't need it, because," Sheik said, looking at me with Dampe's gift in his hands "you're wearing the Hero's Tunic. And one of its abilities is a pouch – which I'm sure you've noticed – that can hold anything and everything in it."

This took me by surprise. I looked at the small pouch attached to my belt.

"You're telling me that this little pouch, that could barely hold a couple bottles, is what? Bottomless?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Sheik said matter-of-factly. I crossed my arms, not buying it. He sighed, "I assume you wish for proof."

I nodded. He handed me the box that had the hookshot in it, as well as the two bottles of red potion I bought. I could already see where this was going.

"Place all of that in the pouch. That should be good enough for you to understand."

Reluctantly, I did as he told me. First, I put the two bottles in the pouch, knowing that they would fit. What was weird about it, however, was that I didn't feel any bulge from the red potions. Hell, it didn't even feel like I was carrying anything else in the pouch. Then, I followed up by putting the box into the pouch.

It fit. And it did the same thing as the bottles, seemingly disappearing instead of fitting inside the pouch.

I turned back to Sheik, who looked like he was giving me a smug look of 'I told you so'.

I chuckled. A legend coming true, a sword that chose its owner, a sacred power left to a ranch hand, and now this? Dammit, when had my life become so weird?

"Alright, alright. Guess it really does work." I went about packing the rest of the supplies I had into the pouch. "But I have to ask, how do I get something I want out of it?"

"Simple, just think about the object while you're reaching into the pouch."

"Okay, simple, yeah," I replied. Knowing how much my mind wandered, that could be easier said than done.

"Now then, about your journey. Once you are finished preparing, you will need to head to the Forest Temple in the Sacred Grove as soon as possible. From what I have gathered, that is where Ganondorf's evil has spread to the quickest."

I stopped my packing, recognizing the name of where I was supposed to go immediately. And knowing where I would have to go to get there. Resuming putting my food in my pouch, I said, "I'm not going back to the Kokiri Forest. I don't even know if I can."

"And if you don't have a choice?"

If I didn't have a choice? Well, I guess I really didn't, now that thought about it. Taking on the role of Hero of Time, I needed to make things right. Even if I had to revisit the very place that had basically shunned me.

Taking in a deep breath to calm my mind, I answered, "Fine. But I'm going to go and make sure everything is alright at Lon Lon Ranch before I go to the Forest Temple. I need to know that they're okay."

"I'm afraid with time constraints, that isn't possible," Sheik said coolly.

That agitated me. Saying where I could go and when? Was I not even allowed to choose what I could do anymore?

"And why?" I asked. Having finished my packing, I strapped the Master Sword to my back and turned on Sheik. "Just because destiny tells me to? They need me to? Well, the Kokiri are not family anymore, but Malon and Talon are! So I'll be damned if I just turn my back on them!"

"I never said that, Link," Sheik said calmly. "I just said you need to go the Forest Temple first."

"No. Lon Lon Ranch. First. That's final."

I rushed past Sheik, shoving past him with my shoulder in my anger to prove my point. Before I could even open the door to leave, the Sheikah spoke again.

"What if Saria's life depended on you going back?"

That stopped me in tracks quickly. Facing Sheik, I was at a loss for words. How did he know about her? More importantly, Saria was in trouble?

"She needs you, Link. Only you can help her and the Kokiri Forest. Only you can make it right. So, please, go to the Forest Temple and halt Ganondorf's evil from corrupting the forest any further."

I hadn't seen Saria in years. Had she changed? Did she even remember me? Were we still friends?

Both Saria and Malon tugged at my mind. It was a struggle deciding who to make sure was alright first. Saria was there for me throughout my time in the Kokiri Forest. But Malon had always been there for me and was one of my only true friends. And so was Saria…

 _'Whenever you play that ocarina, I hope you think of me.'_

Saria's disembodied voice made it into my thoughts. It was from when I left the Kokiri and said goodbye to her. And damn, it stuck. I couldn't stop thinking on her words, about the ocarina she gave me that was now in the hands of some corrupt guard. Nothing I thought of could get her out of my head. My mind was stuck on her.

I had to go save her.

With that I looked back at Sheik, breaking away from my thoughts.

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll go to the Forest Temple and stop whatever evil is in it."

Sheik nodded, looking like he had known I was going to decide that all along.

"Good, and before you go," Sheik reached to the table behind him, picking up a shield and the blue ocarina given to me by Ganondorf. Then, she came up to me placing both in my hands. "Take the Ocarina of Time and this shield. You will need them both."

I looked at the ocarina for a moment. I was wondering where it had gone and glad to have it back. I placed it inside my pouch. My attention then turned to the shield. A metal kite shield, decorated with a blue body and the symbol of the Royal Family of Hyrule. I strapped it to my back, along with the sheath that held the Master Sword.

"Thank you, Sheik, for everything. I hope we meet again."

My hand was on the door, and as I pushed it open, leaving the small, one-room house, I heard Sheik say behind me, "Don't worry, Link, I'm sure we will."

* * *

 **Announcement! Feedback is definitely appreciated! Always like to know how well my story is coming along :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey y'all!**

 **So guess I'm doing another double release today, courtesy of Hyrule Warriors coming out tomorrow. Heard it's not good on the 2DS… dammit. So check out my other fic, which I will update,** _ **More than One Hero can Mend**_ **after reading! Well anyway, here's another chapter out for y'all to enjoy! Haven't left ya guys hanging for too long I hope! Also, a special shout out to all of those who have followed, favorited, reviewed, and stuck with me up to this point. It means a lot to me, y'all! Enjoy the story, folks!**

 **I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Journey Begins**

The sun, having reached its peak, had already risen hours ago. And I had to rise with it, if I was going to make it to Kokiri Forest anytime soon. Breaking my third rule against sleeping in Hyrule Field – again, I might add – I decided to stay out of any major towns or villages, to keep out of sight of Ganondorf. So far, it seemed to have worked. Just a lone traveler trekking through the country side, and the few people I have seen were traveling merchants or farmers who only gave me a friendly 'Hello'.

Except one of them. Creepy, lanky guy with red hair and closed eyes. I still don't understand how he could even see where he was going.

He wore this creepy smile; definitely trying to look friendly, but still creepy all the same. Anyway, he tried to sell me some masks, which I politely declined him before carrying on. For a minute, he seemed entirely frustrated, like he was a bomb flower about to blow. But before he did, he just sighed, then continued smiling, bowed to me, and bid me safe travels while he continued going… wherever it was he was going.

Strange.

Besides that, though, nothing else had really happened. It has just been me, alone with my thoughts and focusing on my current goal. I had to get back to Kokiri Forest. I had to make sure Saria and the rest of the Kokiri were safe. Even Mido. Well, everyone has to make sacrifices at one point or another.

I sighed, deciding there was no point in thinking about what could be happening in Kokiri Forest right now. Worrying wouldn't make anything better. Besides, they could all be fine and all I needed to do was check on the temple in the Sacred Grove. That was the best case scenario, and I kept trying to think of that instead of the worst case. But my brain decided to focus on the latter more than use logic and reason. Stupid brain.

Shaking my head, I calmed myself for what felt like the hundredth time over the past could days. Ever since leaving Kakariko Village, I've had time to think about all that has happened to me within the last week. Even with remembering everything, I still can't believe that I was chosen to be the Hero of Time.

Me. A ranch hand and ex-Kokiri from Lon Lon Ranch. The fact that I had the Master Sword (who's weight I felt on my back), claimed the Triforce of Courage (who's weight I felt on my left hand), and the Hero's Tunic (which just weighed me down even more) proved that I was indeed a hero.

Weirder things have happened, sure, but this still had to be some kind of cosmic joke by the goddesses. If it was, they sure as hell didn't have a good since of humor.

"You hear that, Din, Farore, Nayru?! I am not amused, dammit!" I yelled to the heavens, not entirely in frustration, just in disbelief and annoyance. My normal life was taken away, so who could blame me? I sighed. But taking in a breath of fresh air through my nose, I had to admit, being a traveler again was nice. I smiled lightly, taking in the view on the horizon as I crested the hill I had been climbing up.

In the distance, I could make out the wooded border that separated Hyrule Field and Kokiri Forest. Trees stretched so far up into the sky, that their shadows nearly covered the entirety of the small hamlet located close to the entrance of the forested area. Farona. It was quaint and quiet, but not even big enough to be called a village. Their main industry was lumbering, providing wood for the many structures that dotted Hyrule. Even though they were foresters, they shared a close bond with the forest, respecting its bounty and nature immensely. The people were almost like grown Kokiri, having been blessed by a Great Deku Tree long ago to live and thrive off of the land; as long as they were kind and cooperative with nature.

I began walking down the hill to the familiar village.

All of this stuff I learned from the Kokiri and the last time I had visited Farona. A long time ago when they found me outside of Kokiri Forest, nearly dead from having traversed and getting lost in the forest. I frowned. Guess I really didn't belong there if the forest wanted to get rid of me that badly, one way or another.

After they found me, the Farona's elder nursed me back to health and let me stay in the village with him and his wife for a few weeks. During that time I helped around, learned basic survival skills from some trappers, and tried returning to Kokiri Forest, only to lose my way and reappear in the village a few hours later. I wanted to return, thinking that leaving was a mistake and someone like me didn't belong in a world where I barely came up to most people's waists. It was scary, those first few weeks.

But eventually, I left one night the forest and Farona completely, continuing my habit of leaving places without anyone knowing. Or caring, for that matter. I hadn't returned to Farona since.

As I entered the hamlet, I began to worry, my overthinking mind running rampant. _I wonder, will they remember me?_ _And if they do, will they be furious I left without a word? Will they help me? At least give me some food and a place to stay?!_

Out of all of the problems, that was my main concern. My appetite had been running at a fast pace ever since I woke up in Kakariko Village. The food I bought there that I thought would last me one week actually lasted me two days. Malon was right, I had to be part Goron with how much I ate.

Upon entering Farona, I looked up to the sky and noticed that I couldn't see the sun and that it was starting to get dark. At that moment I also realized how hungry and tired I really was, so I made a b-line straight for the local inn.

 _Which if I remember right, it's right… here!_

I was in the center of town, where a well sat surrounded by dirt paths and several simple buildings made of wood, cobble stone, and plaster. One of them, however, stood two stories high, whereas the rest stood at one story. It had a long, brick chimney coming out of its side with little smoke coming from it since it was late spring and comfortable enough without a fire.

I cheered internally, happy with my small victory as I walked into the inn. Once I entered, loud noises and cheering greeted me, along with a country jig playing over the noise. It seemed everyone in the hamlet was in the inn, drinking or enjoying a meal. I wondered where everyone had disappeared to, since the streets were empty. Must be celebrating something.

They didn't even take any notice of me – an armed stranger – as I made my way to the bar in the back of the building located next to a flight of stairs. I squeezed past a bunch of the villagers who were crowed tightly together, leaving almost no elbow room. While most of the people were sitting down talking, telling tales, and swapping experiences, I noticed some – mostly younger couples – were dancing in front of a small stage.

Sitting down, I couldn't turn my head away from the dancing and band playing on drums, fiddles, and an ocarina. The song sounded very familiar and springy. I know I had heard it somewhere before. Probably around Castle Town? That sounded about right. It fit the capital city well, but it fit Farona like a glove, a match made by the goddesses.

While it was on my mind, I wondered what had happened to Castle Town. On the way here, I hadn't run into any refugees or anyone in particular who had visited the place in the past month. Hopefully, everyone was safe enough or had escaped Ganondorf's evil that was ready to strike at a moment's notice; that is, if it hadn't already.

"Can I help ya there, lad?" A back-country, melodious voice turned my attention away from the spectacle before me and my thoughts.

"Huh?" I responded dumbfounded.

"Need anythin', boy-o?" he repeated.

"Oh, yeah. Could I get a meal, some ale, and a room, please?"

The man – who I could tell was the bartender from the clothes and white apron he wore – let loose a whistle-like sound. "That's a mighty tall order there. But I think we can accommodate, as long as ya can pay." There was no greed in his eyes as he said this, it was a just a matter of fact that I had to pay for all of this. His smile gave him away as a nice enough guy anyhow.

From the wallet Sheik gave me, I produced a yellow rupee and two red rupees, fifty rupees in total. Most of these rupees I found using an old tactic I discovered while on the road those many years ago. If you cut up patches of brush in Hyrule Field, you're bound to find some dropped rupees that people were either too lazy to pick up or just couldn't find. This trick had saved my ass several times, hopefully it would be able to tonight, too. "Will this cover it," I asked, not knowing entirely how much a room cost.

For a moment, the bartender looked at the rupees with his green eyes, thinking for a moment. He pushed the yellow rupee back to me while pocketing the two red rupees.

"Forty's fine, lad," he said with, what seemed to be his trademark smile. "It's the end of the planting season after all, so tonight we celebrate an' I feel I can give ya a little bit of a break. Tonight's dinner special is minced goat pie with some of our famous goat cheese and a pint of our spiced pumpking cider. Trust that'll be 'nough, lad?"

I nodded my head vigorously, drool coming from my mouth in waves it would seem.

The bartender laughed heartily and produced a key from under his bar. "Thought so, and here, your room is up the stairs, first door on the right. I'll have the food ready soon. But for the sake of the festivities, I'd ask ya to stash your sword and shield in your room. Don't want any trouble, 'm sure ya understand." He nodded, with a serious look on his face now, towards the Master Sword and Hylian Shield sticking out from behind me.

"That's fair," I agreed, grabbing the key. "I'll go settle in then and be back down in a moment."

His smile returned. "And we'll have your food ready by then. Enjoy your stay, boy-o, and welcome to Farona!"

I made my way up the stairs and to my room. Opening the door, I wasn't surprised to see simple decoration and furniture. A vase of flowers along with a candle stood on a night stand next to single bed that looked like it could only fit one person. There was a dresser opposite the bed and a chair in the corner, and… that was about it. The only other thing that stood out in the plain room was the window that looked out towards Hyrule Field and the moon-lit night sky.

Breaking my gaze from the beautiful view, I leaned my weapons against the foot of my bed, but kept my pouches on me.

Then I made my way back downstairs to an even rowdier crowd than before. It took me a minute, but I came back to my seat, with a steaming hot meal in front of me. The bartender came over to me once I sat down.

"Here ya go, lad. Hope this meal meets expectations!"

Taking the spoon given to me, I broke the crust of the pie, unable to wait for the meal to cool so I could eat it. It just looked so damn delicious! And smelled even better! I ate the spoonful of meat, crust, and vegetables, ignoring the slight burning sensation on my tongue from eating the food too hot. What could I say? I was starving. And this food delivered.

The meal didn't even last ten minutes as I gulped down every last scrap of food faster than a Zora swimming downstream. Once I was finished, I noticed how the bartender was looking at me. I rubbed the back of my neck and laughed uneasily.

"Sorry about that, I was pretty hungry," I said sheepishly.

For a second longer the bartender just continued watching me, before he burst out in laughter. "Lad, that was something! Where the hell did you put it all so quickly?"

I smiled, glad I didn't scare him or anyone else away. Before I could answer, however, I heard the music stop and the crowd go silent. This caught my curiosity. I turned around in my seat to the stage with the full mug of spiced cider in my hands, wondering what was happening.

From the crowd a woman with long, flowing blue hair and wearing an equally blue dress walked up on stage. Her swaying hips had the men whistling and clapping for more; whether the way she walked was intentional or not, I couldn't tell. But rightfully, I didn't give rat's ass! When she turned to face the crowd, however, her face was not seducing as I thought it would be, but looked like a face of innocence. Interesting…

But that didn't seem to bother anyone, as they just kept whistling and howling like maniacs, followed by some of the men's significant others pulling them out of the inn by the ear. It was a funny sight, even though I was pretty sure Malon would scold me for my behavior. I wasn't swooning over the woman or anything, but I was definitely eyeing her. What could I say? She was extremely pretty.

Then, without introduction or name, she began to sing, the band following a moment behind her. The lyrics sounded foreign, but it was as beautiful and mysterious as the woman who sang it. It sounded bright, positive, like the worst of my days were behind me and better days were ahead. But it also sounded mystic and from a faraway land. It was uplifting and mystifying; it made me think my destiny was not as bleak or tiring as it seemed.

I took a sip of my cider, warming my stomach like the song warming my heart.

Even though I couldn't make out any of the words, the song rejuvenated me.

As she kept singing, I motioned over the bartender.

"Hey," I questioned after another sip "who is that girl? I don't think I've ever heard a song like that before."

"Ah, you won't be the only one asking that question tonight, lad," he replied with a light chuckle. "Unfortunately, I do not know her name. She only came into town today and introduced herself as the 'Traveling Minstrel of Labrynna'. She asked if there was anywhere to perform 'round here and I told her 'bout my inn. I offered her a room, meal, and some pay. Took it without a second thought."

Labrynna, huh? I had only heard about that country in passing. A small country that was filled with equally small villages and one decently sized town; the country didn't have a central castle or capital, really. But, that's what I heard.

My eyes made contact with hers for a brief second, causing my cheeks to blush a solid red. Didn't know if that was from the cider I was downing, or the small connection her and I shared for a short moment. She turned her attention back to the crowd, and away from me.

"Hm, looks like ya ain't the one she's looking for tonight, boy-o," the bartender said, catching the look her and I just shared. "She turned away too quickly, sorry. But 'm sure ya could find another girl, plenty o' trees in the forest, after all." He put a hand on my shoulder, to comfort me, then went back to tending to everyone else's needs.

I shrugged, not really caring. Of course, she was beautiful and her voice was amazing, but I didn't know anything about her. With how my eyes were slowly falling shut every now and then, it would seem I wouldn't get the chance to do that anyway. If I was going into Kokiri Forest tomorrow, I was going to need my sleep.

So, I downed the rest of my cider and stumbled up the stairs into my room. Collapsing onto my bed, still in my tunic, I quickly fell asleep, being transported to my dreams.

* * *

 _"Link! Come on, let's go!"_

 _I chased Saria as we ran through the many tunnels of the Lost Woods towards our destination. No one but the Kokiri really knew how the travel through the Lost Woods many similar tunnels without getting… well, lost. It was a secret passed on by the Great Deku Trees to us._

 _'Just listen to thine forest's tune, and thou shalt never be lost.'_

 _And if you listened closely, the mystically played song would play over and over again. Wherever it was the loudest, that was the tunnel you needed to take to get to where we were going. This would have made traveling the forest simple, if everyone knew it. Even if someone besides the Kokiri made it through the Lost Woods, they would most likely never return. The tunnels changed every day, some sort of protective magic or something._

 _Or that was what the Great Deku Tree told us._

 _It didn't really matter, since it was only the Kokiri who brave the woods._

 _Saria was far ahead of me, so I was only chasing her voice. It was easy to follow her though, the song and her words guiding me. Until I found myself in a part of the Lost Woods with a small pond. The tunnels I would usually follow were nowhere to be found, but I could still hear Saria's voice. The forest's song, however, gradually softened, until it was completely gone._

 _Turning around, I noticed that the tunnel I just passed through had also disappeared. Something wasn't right. I began backpedaling, looking around the trees, trying to find the sources of what was making me feel so uneasy. A small splash echoed throughout the clearing, startling me in the process._

 _Jumping back, ready to fight, I noticed I had just stepped in the pond. I breathed a sigh of relief and laughed uneasily at myself. It was just in my imagination, there had to be a way out, right? I looked into the pond, hoping to see something, a passage, a tunnel, a magical fish that could guide me out of here. But instead, I saw an unfamiliar reflection of myself._

 _Expecting to see my childish face, I was stunned to see a young man's face. His unkempt, dirty blond hair hidden by a green hat, plus those devilishly handsome blue eyes could only mean it was me._

 _"What…? I'm not an adult, I'm a Kokiri! Why…?" I questioned, unable to receive an answer or come up with my own before I heard crunching leaves behind me._

 _Whirling around, I noticed several walking skeletons shambling towards me. Stalfos They blocked any way of escape, if there was any. They all stared at me with their red eyes, looking like the embers of a crackling fire. Each one cackled as they took one step closer. Then another. And another. Then, the forest music started playing again, but at a more rapid pace than before. Evil skeletons, sinister music that shouldn't be, trapped, this had to be a bad dream, a nightmare!_

 _But no matter how much I pinched or slapped myself – I was willing to try anything – I couldn't wake up. And I was running out of time, the Stalfos were almost upon me, arms outstretched and reaching for me. Their cackles were deafening, almost louder than the music._

 _I could do nothing but continue to try waking up. Yet it still didn't work! How did I end up in this hell? Where did all of these Stalfos come from, the Lost Woods have never had a problem with them!_

 _"S-somebody, anybody! Help me!" I whimpered as I crouched down, closed my eyes, and covered my head, trying to hide away from the Stalfos. It was no use, they were upon me now and their cackling and creaking bones had completely shut out everything else. They surrounded me. Yet I could do nothing._

 _"Saria!"_

 _It was the last word I screamed. Her name, before I felt the Stalfos' bones start to dig into my skin. I opened my eyes, only to come face to face with one the walking corpses. Skin hung loosely off of its skull. Red eyes stared deep into mine. Its jaw was wide open, almost popping out of its socket. Inside, I saw a blinding darkness. There was nothing inside. I was about to join that nothing._

 _And then, everything was bathed in a blinding white light._

 _The Stalfos and the forest disintegrated around me in flakes almost instantaneously. Everything was consumed by the light, even my body. It wasn't painful, though, my body had just vanished, but I was still there. It was hard to explain, okay? Out-of-body experiences tended to be like that._

 _"Link…"_

 _A voice? Someone called out my name. She sounded familiar, but I couldn't match the voice to anyone I knew. Like a memory that was there and just out of reach._

 _"Link… Listen to me…"_

 _Okay?_

 _"Time is of the essence, please… Hurry… The Kokiri and the forest are in danger… They need you… I need you…_

 _Who needs me?_

 _"I'll be waiting for you, Link… Come find me in my secret place… Where we played and explored together…_

 _'Secret place'?_

 _"Now, sleepyhead…" the voice giggled, "wake up."_

 _Wake up?_

 _"Wake up, Link…"_

* * *

I opened my eyes, slowly, coming out of the dream world calmly, unlike my other dreams. But instead of the comforting sounds of night, I heard the clashing of steel on steel. The crackling of burning wood mixed with the violent sound, and an acrid smell of smoke floated through my window. There was a loud knocking at my door, and the familiar voice of the bartender yelling through it.

"Wake up, lad!" he pleaded through the oak door. "Wake up, damn you! We're under attack by monsters!"

This woke me up. I jumped out of my bed, strapping on my sword and shield quickly.

I opened the door, almost running face first into the bartender's fist.

He apologized, then explained what was happening. "Moblins have come from the forest, boy-o. I saw your sword an' shield. I hope ya can use 'em well, not many o' us know how to use a weapon!"

"Moblins? What the hell are they doing out of the Lost Woods? They never leave there." Moblins were violent creatures, but they kept to themselves and rarely left the security of the woods. What could have made them come out now?

"I don't know meself. But it don't matter, what does matter is that they're slaughterin' us an' takin' just as many prisoners! We have to do somethin'!"

We? That was when I noticed the bartender had a bow and quiver slung around his shoulder.

"Come on! The mayor an' hunters are holdin 'em off, for now… They need your help, so let's go!"

The bartender stormed off down the stairs, not waiting another second for me to follow. I stormed out of my room, right on his tail. If those monsters were looking for an easy target to ransack, they picked the wrong night to do it!

* * *

 **Feedback is highly appreciated and those who do I look upon with favor.**


End file.
